Drawing inspiration from Djokovic and Nadal, Swiatek unbothered by early-round scares

Iga Swiatek is not worried about having endured two difficult tests early in the Australian Open. She knows how to use the hard-fought wins to her advantage as she continues her title quest.

Iga Swiatek 2023 Australian Open || AI / Reuters / Panoramic

Ricky Dimon

January 18, 2024

The first two rounds of the Australian Open were no walk in the park for Iga Swiatek. It’s not a surprise, either, as he first two opponents were Sofia Kenin and Danielle Collins. Kenin is a former Australian Open champion (2020); Collins is a former Australian Open runner-up (2022).

“The draw? Well, it was tough,” Swiatek admitted. “It happens. I think it was even like the toughest one I ever had — maybe even more than when I was unseeded couple of years back.”

But the 22-year-old has gotten through it so far. Swiatek opened with a 7-6 (2), 6-2 victory over Kenin. Things got even more difficult on Thursday, when the world No 1 trailed Collins by a double-break in the final set. Seemingly on her way out of the tournament, Swiatek instead battled back to win the last five games of the match and prevail 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 in three hours and 14 minutes.

I’m just trying to not panic so early.
Iga Swiatek

Afterward, the Pole was hardly alarmed by her close calls. After all, there have plenty of examples in which — as Swiatek pointed out — Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal have been tested early at a slam and have gone on to take the title.

“I think like any champion would say to you, basically most of the times they haven’t felt comfortable throughout the whole two weeks of the Grand Slam,” she noted. “We’ve seen many tournaments where, I mean, Novak — I haven’t seen him play (this week) — but it seemed like he’s not winning too easily. He’s also that kind of person that probably improves during the tournament. (He) is able to do that.

“I also saw Rafa in some tournaments doing that. I’m just trying to take an example from that and not panic so early.

“I also remember I also struggled couple of times during Grand Slams in the first rounds, then I won Roland-Garros like that, I won US Open like that. Yeah, but I always try to improve it.”

Iga_Swiatek_Australian_Open_2024 (1) — Virginie Bouyer / Panoramic

Swiatek also tried to stay as positive as possible during the match, which wasn’t easy given that Collins was on the brink of victory in the third set. Despite trailing 4-1, though, the top seed stayed strong — even if she was “almost at the airport,” as she joked during her on-court interiew.

“You’re not going to lie to yourself obviously that you’re losing 4-1,” she said at her press conference. “The only thing you can do is just try again. At that point you kind of know that you may lose. You can actually relax a little bit more because you know that, ‘Okay, probably I’m going to lose — so I don’t care anymore. Then it’s easier (smiling). Sometimes it works like that.

“But it doesn’t change the fact that I just kept trying.”