Iga Swiatek is hoping a return to Roland Garros for the Paris Olympics will work in her favour, as she chases a first gold medal in 2024. The world No. 1 says her experiences last season make her feel more prepared than ever to deal with the pressures of holding the top ranking, as she prepares to kick off her campaign with Poland at the United Cup in Perth, ahead of the Australian Open.
Iga Swiatek has said she is confident she is better prepared than ever to deal with the pressures of being the world No. 1 in 2024, as she targets gold at the Paris Olympics.
The four-time grand slam champion ended last season with a first ever title at the WTA Finals in Cancun and she is hoping that momentum continues when she leads Poland into the mixed-team United Cup in Perth – the start of her Australian Open preparations.
Heading into the new campaign, Swiatek has belief she can be a leading contender at the Olympics, which will be held at Roland Garros – the clay venue where she has won the French Open title three times.
But she will also have to banish the painful memory of a second round exit at the Tokyo Games, when she lost to Paula Badosa.
“For sure the pressure was huge, I mean, you could see after I lost against Paula, I cried, it was a big fuss,” Swiatek said ahead of the new season starting in Australia.
“This time it’s going to be a little bit different. I’m going to know the venue. It’s going to be on my favourite surface. On the other hand, these also bring up more expectations from the outside.
“I guess I’ll have to do the same kind of work as I do in every other tournament. I’m not going to lie to myself that it’s going to be easy or the same because it will be different, a little bit.”
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