"I do not pay attention" - Swiatek on blocking off media talk

Iga Swiatek does not pay attention to what sports media are talking about leading up to events as she focuses mainly on herself.

Being the top seed at the US Open means that you're going to be a talking point in many sports shows leading up to it. Swiatek's name has certainly been mentioned quite a few times, especially after she came out publicly against the tennis balls used at the event. In a talk with Eurosport, Swiatek confirmed that she doesn't listen to media much:

"In a sense, I do not pay attention to it (expert opinions), although often such voices come to me, but you also have to learn how to work with it. I think that's the role of the highest seeded players to deal with expectations from the outside. But I'm good at cutting myself off from that and focusing on what I need to do."

Read also

2022 US Open ATP & WTA Prize Money Breakdown with record amount of over $60m

She once again touched upon the topic of tennis balls confirming that she doesn't like them but she's trying to make it work:

"The balls are specific, ours are destroyed very quickly and after two games they behave completely differently than at the beginning. It is demanding. I actually said everything about it in Cincinnati, and now I'm mostly focused on learning how to play these balls and adapting to it."

It's going to be interesting to see whether she can snap back into form after a couple of poor weeks on the Tour.

Read also

"Serena Williams doesn't know this, but the first money I ever made for myself was because of her doing a commercial" - Coco Gauff