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Iga Swiatek of Poland celebrates with the Suzanne Lenglen trophy during the podium ceremony after winning the final individual women’s tennis match against Sofia Kenin of the USA, on the Philippe Chatrier court, on day 14 of the Roland Garros tennis tournament 2020 French Open in Paris on October 10, 2020 (Photo by Thomas SAMSON / AFP)
Iga Swiatek called her French Open title “a life-changing experience” and said her biggest challenge would be trying to match the consistency of her hero, 12-time Roland Garros champion Rafael Nadal.
Swiatek, 19, became Poland’s first Grand Slam singles champion with a 6-4, 6-1 win over Australian Open winner Sofia Kenin on Saturday.
She overshadowed the streak of her compatriot Jadwiga Jedrzejowska, the most outstanding Polish player of the interwar period, who finished runner-up at Roland Garros in 1939.
“It’s crazy for me because I saw Rafael Nadal lift the trophy every year and now I’m in the same place,” Swiatek said.
“I did not expect to win this trophy. It’s obviously amazing to me. It’s like a life-changing experience. “
Swiatek, in 54th place, is the lowest ranked player in the modern era to lift the Coupe Suzanne Lenglen, her first title of any kind at the circuit level.
She will soar to a personal record of 17 on Monday after becoming the youngest female French Open winner since Monica Seles, 18, in 1992.
His style has been compared by three-time Roland Garros champion Mats Wilander to that of world number one Novak Djokovic, who along with Nadal and Roger Federer have combined to win 56 Grand Slam titles.
“I really feel like I can progress in most things because I’m only 19 years old. I know my game is not playing perfectly, ”Swiatek said.
“I also think the biggest change for me will be being consistent. I think this is what women’s tennis is struggling with.
“That is why we have so many new Grand Slam winners because we are not as consistent as Rafa, Roger and Novak. So my goal will be to be consistent. It’s going to be very difficult to achieve. “
Radwanska ‘still the best’
Swiatek was only the second Polish woman to reach a Grand Slam final in the Open era after Agnieszka Radwanska, but she quickly dismissed comparisons to the 2012 Wimbledon runner-up.
“I feel like I made history. But I still think that Radwanska achieved a lot because she played at the highest level in the WTA for, I don’t know, 12 years. I don’t even know the number, ”Swiatek said.
“I know there will be a lot of people who will compare us. But I think I have to be really consistent over the next few years so that everyone names me the best player in Poland because I still have a lot to do.
“Still, I think that’s his place, you know.”
Swiatek received a congratulatory message from Polish soccer star Robert Lewandowski, and the Warsaw native looks forward to a warm welcome upon her return home.
“I know it’s going to be crazy. I think I’m going to get used to that, it’s not going to be a problem for me, “he said.
“I had no problem with, like, attracting attention, with the people around me. I think it will be fine for me. I really appreciate all the support I received for a full two weeks.
“I know that the whole country was behind me and they all believed in me. I will be happy and proud ”.
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