Iga Swiatek has won the Roland Garros three times, but she's still feeling nervous ahead of the 2024 edition due to the pressure she's under.
The Polish player is the biggest favorite to win this year's Roland Garros. While that is the dream and goal, it's obviously not easy to ignore the fact that everybody favors you to win a Grand Slam.
That's a lot of pressure, and while pressure is a privilege, according to many players, it also impacts them. Swiatek has dealt with pressure fairly well so far in her career, but she was quite honest in admitting that she is feeling nervous ahead of this year's Roland Garros. It's understandable; she's the defending champion and a three-time champion.
"The tournament is long and a lot can happen. I'd be lying if I said I'm not nervous because I know the expectations placed on me are very high and that creates pressure."
We saw how that played out last year when she looked quite overwhelmed in some matches. The final was very complicated, as she nearly lost it. Proving herself to be a great champion, Swiatek rallied to win the trophy but admitted that it was the toughest of all three.
This year won't be any easier and might even be even more difficult because the competition has never been stronger. Aryna Sabalenka is playing great tennis, and she's hardly the only player. However, stress is a motivating factor for Swiatek, as it helps her stay focused on the task and goal.
"I think that stress helps motivate me and bring out the best version of myself. I see myself on the right path and I feel that I can continue to improve."
Her first mach is against Leolia Jeanjean, a native player, who came through the qualifying, winning three really difficult matches, out of which, two went into three sets.
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