"I didn't tank, I just didn't know what to do” - Swiatek following a shocking loss
WTA
After winning 37 matches in a row, Iga Swiatek lost her winning streak in the third round of the 2022 Wimbledon Championships against Alize Cornet, and she spoke about it afterward.
Despite being the most dominant player of the season on the WTA Tour, Swiatek didn't have big expectations when she was heading into Wimbledon this year.
The young Pole prefers clay courts to grass courts, and even though she was still the favorite in the All England Club due to her dominance, she lost already in the third round.
However, the WTA World No. 1 player was not very hard on herself after the match as she knew that she could lose, even though she had won 37 of her previous matches.
"I know I didn't play good tennis. I was pretty confused about my tactics. When I was practising I didn’t feel in the best shape [on grass]. So I was aware this could happen."
"The thing that I changed this season is I started being more aggressive. It was really comfortable for me to have the initiative and be proactive. But here, I couldn't control the ball."
"Then, in the second set, I made a few attempts to speed up again and it didn't work out. Usually, when I'm coming back, I have some kind of a plan, and I know what to change."
"Here, I didn't know what to change. I was confused. On a grass court, everything happens so quickly. I didn't tank it, but I just didn't know what to do."
Swiatek also admitted that while she's usually hard on herself after losing matches, this time, she was aware that she could lose, as she didn't feel like she was at her best.
"Usually, I am hard on myself. Here, I know how I felt before matches. I know how I felt when I was practicing. Let's just say that I didn't feel like I was in the best shape. So I'm kind of aware that this could happen. Maybe it's not the right attitude to have, but it is like it is."
"I tried many things to feel better on court, on grass court, but it didn't really work out. That's why I'm not even hard on myself because, like, it's kind of logic that if I couldn't find it even on practices, I'm not going to find it on a match."
