“Had More Pressure This Year”: Iga Swiatek Reflects on Blowout Loss to Maria Sakkari at French Open 2021

Defending champion Iga Swiatek set up a clash against Greek player Maria Sakkari in the quarterfinal of the French Open 2021. After cruising through the rounds until now, the Polish star faltered in this challenge and ended her hopes of lifting a consecutive Roland Garros title this season. 

During the match today, the Greek player was too strong for Iga Swiatek. Whenever things got intense, Maria Sakkari found a way to emerge on top. In the end, she won the match in straight sets, 6-4 6-4, in a match that lasted close to 100 minutes. 

This result comes as a huge disappointment to the Iga Swiatek camp. After the match, Swiatek stated, “I had more pressure this year but I think I did a good job, quarter-final is a good result. I’m happy with the results I had so far in the season, I played a lot, but now I’ll try to chill out, cool down a little bit, and find some perspectives.”

Iga Swiatek wants to shut her mind from tennis at the moment

As compared to last year, the pressure on Iga was higher. However, she was content with her performance this season. At the moment, she wants to divert her mind from tennis and will feature at the Wimbledon Championships. She did reveal that her prime focus will be on the Tokyo Olympics. 

Also Read: “It’s Curfew. Get Outta Here!”: Daniil Medvedev Yells at Workers While They Make Noise During His French Open 2021 Battle Against Stefanos Tsitsipas

The 20-year-old further added, “When I close my eyes, I don’t see a tennis court or a tennis ball. I don’t know if I remember how to play on grass. I don’t put too much pressure or expectations on myself for Wimbledon, learning how to play on the surface might need years again. My next big goal is the Olympics. All credit to Sakkari. She did very well. She made me feel bad, so credit to her.”

Coming back to the French Open 2021, the final four spots are taken and the women’s semifinal will be played on Thursday. It will be interesting to see who emerges victorious in the French capital. 

Watch this story: