Playing at Roland Garros is not the comfort many assume it is for Iga Swiatek; because it involves a lot of stress, which was visible after a hard-fought win.
The Pole might have won a major three times in Paris so far, but that doesn't mean it's a venue where she's relaxed and calm. It's a tennis court where she's comfortable and plays superb tennis, but it's also a venue that puts her under much pressure.
She talked about that earlier this year when she admitted that she'd feel a lot of pressure at the Olympics due to the venue, which will be the same as during the season's only clay-court major - Roland Garros.
The more she wins, the more tricky it becomes to play in Paris because the expectations and pressure that come with it are greater. The match against Naomi Osaka demonstrated that because the Polish player looked under a lot of pressure.
Despite the pressure, she found a way to win the match, but it took a lot out of her. She invested a lot of energy and nerves and simply broke down after the match during her cool-down.
Cameras captured her breaking down in tears in the locker room, which likely was a release of tension after such a complicated match against the former world no. 1. It was a reminder of how difficult of sport tennis truly is because when it's the hardest, players are all alone on the court. There are no teammates to pick them up.
It's just them and their opponent and a really big tennis court that they need to cover tirelessly. It's brutal and sometimes players break down.
Swiatek is no stranger to that, but expect her to find her toughest demeanor for her next match as she hopes to win a third Roland Garros in a row. That would be a historic achievement as it was only done twice in the past by a woman.
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