I’m doing a good job in handling pressure, says Swiatek

PARIS, June 1 (Reuters) – Globe number one particular Iga Swiatek believes she is undertaking a good career at handling expectations as she carries on her bid to win a next French Open up title.

Swiatek, who turned 21 on Tuesday, has won 5 consecutive tournaments, which include 4 WTA 1000 titles, and is currently on a 33-match successful streak as she prepares to choose on Russian Daria Kasatkina in the semi-finals at Roland Garros on Thursday.

Tennis great John McEnroe feels the force of staying the overwhelming favourite could get to Swiatek.

Seven-time Grand Slam champion McEnroe claimed the stress of expectation could possibly be the only matter that could halt 2020 French Open winner Swiatek from lifting the Suzanne Lenglen trophy for a 2nd time.

“Absolutely everyone expects her to acquire. It truly is tricky,” Eurosport tennis pro McEnroe explained to Reuters this 7 days. “It is feasible that she may possibly feel the tension would get to her a small bit.”

Swiatek did not drop a set when she received her maiden Grand Slam title at Roland Garros in 2020 and has dropped just just one for the duration of her present-day campaign.

She travels with a athletics psychologist in her team and has credited Daria Abramowicz in the earlier for getting to be mentally stronger.

“This tournament, it’s a Grand Slam, so it can be challenging,” she instructed reporters on Wednesday immediately after defeating Jessica Pegula to established up a semi-closing from 20th seed Kasatkina. “So I assume only underdogs can sense more no cost on Grand Slams.

“But on the other hand I am also finding out how to offer with the tension and expectations and I assume I am carrying out a great task.”

Swiatek, who reached the semi-finals of the Australian Open at the start of the yr, fell at the last-eight stage at Roland Garros in 2021 while defending her title.

The Pole explained she required to do improved this time and felt the strain.

“I’m even additional proud of myself that I could cope with that and actually press myself to not feel about that and to just emphasis on tennis,” she included.

McEnroe claimed it was likely that Swiatek could develop into the dominant participant in women’s tennis for the following few several years.

“I will not know how relaxed she’s heading to be on grass suitable now. I will not know if her video game is very completely ready for that,” the 63-year-previous mentioned. “I could be erroneous. But it appears to be like she’s likely to get many majors. Yeah, for sure.”

Reporting by Sudipto Ganguly modifying by Toby Davis

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