"Trying to keep my expectations low": Confidence has taken a knock after Australian Open blow admits World No.1 Iga Swiatek
WTA
Iga Swiatek goes into the Qatar Open this week with modest expectations as she will play Doha in her first tournament since losing out to Linda Noskova at the Australian Open.
Swiatek is defending champion, but admitted herself that her confidence took a knock as a result of losing to Noskova and that while knowing she isn't going to be on the top of her game all the time, she did see it take a turn in Australia that she hopes to remove when she begins her Middle East quest.
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For Swiatek though, she will be buoyed by one thing. The Pole won't have to defend her World No.1 ranking this week with Sabalenka not playing meaning that she keeps that at least for now. One less thing to worry about especially when confidence is low.
"I'm that kind of person that really works hard, so if I'm going to work hard, you know, during some period of time, you know, my tennis will get better, you know, but I wouldn't say right now my time at home was really peaceful. It was a little bit different, honestly," said Swiatek.
"Also, I know that I had these comebacks, as you may say, or my level got up, but it's not like it's going to happen all the time, so I'm really trying to keep my expectations low and work hard to find more confidence in my game, because, for sure, in Australia, I lacked it a little bit."
But on repeating the feat and sealing the title again, she is in the dark whether that will happen. "I don't know if the story is going to repeat itself (smiling). I will do my best to play the best tennis possible here, and that's all."
Samuel GillEditor-in-Chief
Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of TennisUpToDate.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces across the TennisUpToDate network, playing a central role in the daily operation and development of the site.
Based in Leicester, Samuel has a broad background in tennis media. In his current role, he works closely with editors and writers to ensure coverage meets clear journalistic standards, with particular attention to verification, consistency, and timely updates when new information becomes available.
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