Iga Swiatek (Poland) expects a difficult hard-court comeback at the WTA 1000 Cincinnati Open, but the world number one said she will not let the pressure get to her and will approach the WTA 1000 event as a practice tournament ahead of the US Open
Iga Swiatek last played on hard in Miami in March and then won clay titles in Madrid, Rome and Roland Garros before crashing out in the third round on grass at Wimbledon.
After winning her Olympic bronze medal on the red courts in Paris earlier this month, the 23-year-old Polish tennis player will begin her campaign in Cincinnati with moderate expectations.
“I know that the first tournament on hard courts will not be easy”, said Iga Swiatek, who will start with a match against Varvara Gracheva (France) in the second round of the WTA 1000 Cincinnati Open. “I’ll try to take everything as a training tournament, but not in a way that I’m not interested in – more as a place where I want to show everything I can. That’s the best approach for me”, said the Polish tennis player.
Iga Swiatek believes WTA 1000 Cincinnati Open is the perfect place to recharge after a busy few months. She is preparing to compete at the US Open, where she will try to win a second title and the sixth Grand Slam of her career.
“After the Olympics, I felt that I needed a rest and also a concentration on improving my technique for my better performance on the court”, said the world number one. “Here is the perfect place to do it. There is one idea less tension, but on the other hand, even before the start of the tournament there are many people and fans”, added she.
