Iga Swiatek stated that he felt quite low on energy after being knocked out of the semifinals of the 2023 Cincinnati Open season.
The world number 1 lost in three sets to the host, Cori Gauff, whom he had beaten in their previous seven meetings. Now, she lost in the semifinals for the second time in a row after she lost to Jessica Pegula in the semifinals of the Canadian Open, Montreal last week.
Despite the latest defeat, the 2023 French Open champion sees the positives in that match, giving him more time to rest ahead of the US Open, where he is the reigning champion. She is aiming to become the first woman to win back-to-back Grand Slam titles in New York since Serena Williams in 2014.
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“I can tell that my fuel tank is pretty empty. To be honest, I won’t even have much regrets, because I’m happy that I will now have a few days to rest,” said Swiatek, who played 13 matches on two different continents in the last month.
“Coco played a riveting game. I think his first serve was better than most of the games we’ve had before, just a bit quicker this time. He plays it more, even though he takes risks at that pace.”
“I think technically I did everything right. I was quite surprised that I missed a few shots. But that’s what happened. He really played a good game, so it’s not easy.”
So far in the 2023 season, the tennis player who has won four Grand Slam titles has won four titles, more than any other woman. He also won 53 matches, far more than Gauff who now has 36 wins.
Despite the success she has built in tournaments, the Polish national is not taking her journey to the US Open lightly. This season, she will be making her fifth appearance at the Grand Slam and won 13 of the 16 matches she has played at the Grand Slam.
“I haven’t really thought about it yet,” Iga Swiatek replied when asked about his New York title defense.
“I’m just focused on the tournament. I know from experience that being the reigning champion is not easy. I’m not going to overwhelm myself and just try to do things step by step.”
“Last season’s tournament was really tough. I could have knocked out of the fourth round. So I’m just going to fight and I’ll see how things go.”
