Serena Williams lifts Iga Swiatek's spirit before victory over Pavlyuchenkova

Iga Swiatek detailed the conversation she had with Serena Williams during the US Open. The world No. 1 was dazzled by her encounter with the 23-time Grand Slam champion and admitted that it gave her a ‘positive boost’ before the third round.

The Polish player secured a comfortable victory over Russia's Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, winning 6-4, 6-2. Just before the match, the 23-year-old had a prolonged chat with Williams: “It was really nice to see her. She has a lot of positive energy,” commented Iga Swiatek.

“It is nice that she came on-site and she was chatting with the players because for me, even though we met before and for like a couple of years we have been on the same side and on the tours together, she is still like star-striking me,” she added, smiling. “It was nice that she approached me because I wouldn’t for sure find the courage to do that (smiling) if it was the other way. Yeah, she is really nice and really positive.”

“I’m happy that she is following tennis and likes my game because she told me she is cheering for me. It’s always nice to hear that from somebody like Serena,” added the 5-time Grand Slam champion. “She approached me, like, at 4:00, you know, today. It was before my warm-up. I would say it more inspired me and it gave me, like, a positive kick, so it was nice.”

Additionally, Swiatek was asked to compare the current level of tennis with that of two decades ago, but she acknowledged that it is difficult for her to draw conclusions: “It’s hard for me to judge the level I have because I am constantly looking at myself and other players, so it’s not easy to say if we are playing at our best level or at a higher level than five years ago,” she said.

“Surely we are playing better tennis than 20 years ago because our physical condition has improved, among other things. I’m not an expert, I haven’t watched many past matches, but it’s clear that you need to improve to move forward,” Swiatek added. “Becoming world No. 1 happened suddenly for me; I admit that at first, my opponents didn’t know what to expect from my game.”

“2023 was a challenge because I had a big target on my back; my rivals already knew my style, so that’s when you need to learn and have more variety on the court, you can’t keep playing the same tennis because people will figure it out, and it will be harder to win.”

“I don’t know if tennis is improving overall, but you need to enhance your game because here everyone analyzes you, and they will end up focusing on you to beat you.”