Iga Swiatek hits back at critics after Wimbledon win

LONDON – Iga Swiatek pleaded with the Polish media to “leave me alone”, saying she knows what she is doing after crushing Amanda Anisimova 6-0, 6-0 to win her first Wimbledon title on July 12.

The 24-year-old was seeded eighth at the All England Club after a disappointing first half of the season, although she was fourth in the rankings after a run to the Bad Homburg final two weeks ago.

Swiatek was asked at her post-match press conference whether winning Wimbledon so convincingly was a fitting riposte to those who have criticised her.

“For sure the past months, how the media sometimes describe me, and I’ve got to say unfortunately Polish media, how they treated me and my team, it wasn’t really pleasant,” she said.

“I hope they will just leave me alone and let me do my job because obviously, you can see that we know what we are doing, and I have the best people around me.

“I have already proved a lot. I know people want more and more, but it’s my own process and my own life and my own career.

“Hopefully, I’m going to have a freedom from them, as well, to let me do my job the way I want it.”

Swiatek climbed to third in the rankings on July 14 after winning her sixth Grand Slam title on a blazing day on Centre Court.

The former world No. 1 destroyed the hapless 13th-seeded Anisimova in just 57 minutes and the American admitted she was “frozen by nerves”.

The only other time a Wimbledon singles final was decided by a 6-0, 6-0 scoreline was in 1911, when Dorothea Lambert Chambers beat fellow Briton Dora Boothby.

Before July 12, it had happened only once at any of the other Grand Slam finals, in 1988 when Steffi Graf demolished Natasha Zvereva in 34 minutes at the French Open. At least Anisimova stretched it to almost an hour.

“I feel like the last two weeks, if anything, what I’ve learnt was you’re never going to be perfect, and every match is different,” Anisimova said.

“My fighting spirit has gotten me to the final of today. It wasn’t me playing perfect in a way. There were matches where I struggled and I wasn’t playing to my full potential.

“I think me just staying focused and fighting my way through certain moments and lifting myself up and trying to not get negative on myself was the most important thing.

“I think that’s really what got me to the final.”

Swiatek, who had not previously gone beyond the quarter-finals at Wimbledon, said she was shocked to have won the grass-court Grand Slam in 2018 when was the junior champion.

She is better known for her prowess on clay, winning four French Open titles, as well as the 2022 US Open, which is played on hard courts.

“Who would have expected that?” she said. “It’s something that is just surreal. I feel like tennis keeps surprising me, and I keep surprising myself.

“I’m really happy with the whole process, how it looked like from the first day we stepped on a grass court. I feel like we did everything for it to go in that direction without expecting it, just working really hard.”

Swiatek said it was difficult to rank her Grand Slam triumphs but that winning on grass made it more “special and unexpected”.

“For sure, it feels like the emotions are bigger because at Roland Garros I know I can play well, and I know I can show it every year,” she said.

“Here, I wasn’t sure of that. I also needed to prove that to myself.”

Swiatek said it had been special to be presented with the Venus Rosewater Dish by Catherine, Princess of Wales.

“Overall, the process of getting the trophy from her Royal Highness was something surreal,” she said.

“Since I’m a kid, honestly I’m a big fan of the royal family. It was amazing. I really appreciate that. I’m really grateful that it was her Royal Highness giving the trophy.”
AFP, REUTERS