Seoul: Iga Swiatek, world No. 2 in women’s tennis and the reigning Wimbledon champion, announced she won’t look past her first match in Seoul this week despite her pretournament status as the title favorite.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Swiatek, a six-time Grand Slam singles champion, will make her South Korea debut this week at the Korea Open at Olympic Park Tennis Center in Seoul. Qualifying matches began Saturday, and as the top seed, Swiatek received a bye in the round of 32 and will start her tournament in the round of 16.
As the highest-ranked player with the most Grand Slam titles this week, Swiatek is considered the big favorite to win the WTA 500 tournament. But at her pretournament press conference Sunday, the 24-year-old from Poland said this will be anyone’s tournament to win. Swiatek emphasized the unpredictability of the tournament, stating that any competitor could emerge victorious.
Swiatek captured the Wimbledon crown in July, beating Amanda Anisimova of the United States without dropping a game in the final. Earlier this month, though, Swiatek lost to Anisimova in the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open, where Swiatek admitted she was battling foot problems. However, Swiatek confirmed she is now pain-free and feels physically ready for the upcoming matches.
Though this is Swiatek’s first visit to South Korea, her family has some connection with the country, particularly Seoul. Her father, Tomasz, represented Poland in rowing at the 1988 Seoul Olympics. Swiatek expressed her enthusiasm about playing at the same venue that hosted tennis matches during the 1988 Olympics.
Swiatek had initially committed to play at last year’s Korea Open but was forced to withdraw due to a provisional suspension over a failed drug test. Swiatek described the experience as the toughest in her career but is relieved to have resolved it quickly. She is eager to make up for lost time during the Asian swing of tournaments.
In preparation for her matches, Swiatek enjoys listening to classic rock, citing tracks like “Paint It Black” by the Rolling Stones and “Thunderstruck” by AC/DC as favorites. She also enjoys a mix of other music, including Ariana Grande, to keep her energized and prepared for competition.