LOS ANGELES – World No. 1 Iga Swiatek said she is growing accustomed to the high expectations and harsh criticism that come with being the world’s top player, and is feeling “good vibes” ahead of her title defence at Indian Wells this week.
It was a year ago at the tournament in the Southern California desert that the Pole really began to hit her stride amid a scorching 37-match winning streak. Since then, the three-time Grand Slam champion has been the player to beat on the WTA Tour.
“I feel like there is a little bit of a target on my back, which I didn’t feel last year. So it’s a different situation and I have to adjust to that,” she told reporters on Wednesday.
“On the other hand, I’ve been No. 1 for almost a year. So I already have enough experience to deal with it.”
Learning to tune out the critics is another adjustment she has had to make. The 21-year-old said she was taken aback by the negativity that came with her loss in the final of the Dubai Tennis Championships in February after she retained her title in Doha.
“I lost in the final and people were surprised – not happy with the performance – and just critical,” she said.
“It made me think that last year, before this huge streak and before winning all these tournaments, I would have been so happy with the result.
“But because of these comments right now, I felt like, ‘Oh, that’s not enough’.
“But I’m trying not to read those kinds of things because I’m happy with the work I’ve put in and how I played in Doha and Dubai.”
Swiatek also said the higher demands are an example of how the world around her has shifted.
“There is more pressure and expectation, but I’m trying to deal with that the best way possible,” she added.
“And I think I’m doing good.”
Her No. 1 ranking is safe through Indian Wells and Miami, but she will be up against a quality field in the California desert, where she is seeking to become just the second woman to retain the title after Martina Navratilova in 1990-91.
After a first-round bye, she will open against either Anna Karolina Schmiedlova or Claire Liu on Saturday, before potentially a tricky third-round clash with 2019 champion Bianca Andreescu of Canada.
The action at Indian Wells kicked off on Wednesday, with rising American Brandon Nakashima beating veteran John Isner 7-6 (9-7), 6-3 to set up a second-round meeting with Daniil Medvedev.
Nakashima, 21, saved a set point in the first tiebreak and stepped up his defence in the second to see off the big-serving Isner before a crowd that included Kansas City Chiefs’ Super Bowl-winning quarterback Patrick Mahomes and his family.
“Coming to this tournament, it’s always super exciting for me,” said Nakashima.
“Growing up here, close by in San Diego, it’s one of the tournaments where I grew up coming here as a little kid, watching all the top pros. So to be able to play here now against another top American on the centre court here, is a super special feeling.”
He will have his work cut out for him when he faces world No. 6 Medvedev, who has won three consecutive titles and is on a 14-match winning streak.
In the women’s draw, Shelby Rogers won an all-American battle with Katie Volynets 6-4, 4-6, 6-1.
“She definitely has a very bright future and unfortunately only one of us could win today,” Rogers said.
“She’s one of the nicest girls I’ve met on tour and I look forward to seeing her more.”
Next up for Rogers is a second-round meeting with seventh-seeded Maria Sakkari, who reached the Indian Wells final in 2022. Rogers holds a 3-0 lead in her career meetings with the Greek.
REUTERS, AFP
