‘I Have Nothing to Lose’ – Iga Swiatek Reveals Her Mindset Before Indian Wells 2022 Final Against Maria Sakkari

Iga Swiatek is in the finals of the WTA 1000 BNP Paribas Open. She beat former World No. 1 and the 2015 Indian Wells champion Simona Halep in straight sets. Having a strong performance in the previous rounds, Halep entered the semifinals as one of the strongest contenders for the title.  Continuing her roaring form, Halep stood firm in front of the 3rd seeded Swiatek, giving her neck-to-neck competition. However, even after much effort, she couldn’t match the game of the Polish player, as Swiatek went on to win the match 7-6, 6-4. She will now face 6th seeded Maria Sakkari in the finals.

Swiatek opens up on her being the favorite

The post-match conference started with Swiatek giving her views on the match. It was followed by a question about whether she felt that it was her best match. However, it was after this question that Iga was asked about her assertion during the on-court interview. A journalist asked Swiatek where did she get this feeling from. He also asked her how did she manage the pressure of being the favorite.

Taking the question with grace, Swiatek started by recalling the time when she played the Australian Open after winning the Roland Garros. World No. 4 emphasized the fact that despite winning the Roland Garros, she didn’t feel that she had settled in the Top 10 or Top 20. “Even when we were playing at the Australian Open, it was after I won Roland Garros, I still felt like I was the underdog. That was my second tournament after winning a Grand Slam. So, basically, I still didn’t feel like I’m settled into the Top 10 or Top 20,” she said.

Given the backdrop of how she felt earlier, she moved ahead comparing that time with the current situation. Opening up on the current situation, Iga expressed herself saying, “Right now it’s a bit different. I feel like I have much more experience in use. But also on the other hand, with that, also comes expectations a little bit. I felt like I’m not the underdog anymore and I want to show something else and show what I learned.”

How has the mindset affected Swiatek?

Even though she reasoned her statement well enough, that wasn’t complete from Iga’s side. She further went on to explain how the change in perspective has affected her. She also asserted that she needs to get used to this mindset. “That was a different mindset that I had. I don’t know if it was easier to do with or not. Honestly, I think it was a little bit harder but I also have to get used to of not being an underdog.”

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The Polish sensation ended by recalling her meetings with top players like Halep, Kerber, and Wozniacki, as she compared it to today’s situation.

“I just feel like a huge difference because players like Simona (Halep) or Angie (Kerber) or Caroline (Wozniacki), who I played in Toronto. I always felt that I have nothing to lose. But this time I felt different. I still have nothing to lose but it’s pretty hard to remember that all the time.”

Iga Swiatek in Indian Wells

Coming back to her performance at the Indian Wells, winning the Doha Open, Swiatek entered the tournaments as a strong contender for the title. Entering the draw as the 3rd seed, Iga started her tournament campaign from the second-round beating Anhelina Kalinina.

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In the next round, she beat the 29th seeded Clara Tauson. Enjoying her top form, in the fourth round Swiatek went on to beat Angelique Kerber, followed by a quarterfinal win against Madison Keys. Beating Halep in the semifinals, Swiatek is set to play for the title against the 6th seeded Maria Sakkari.