Iga Swiatek says she is not thinking at all about her 2023 Madrid run and the way it ended as the Pole underlines this is a new year as she aims to finally make a big breakthrough at Caja Magica.
On Saturday, world No. 1 Swiatek fired a stern warning to her competition by demolishing No. 27 seed Sorana Cirstea 6-1 6-1 in the Madrid third round. So far, Swiatek has been looking exceptional in Madrid as she has dropped a total of seven games in her two matches played.
But the same thing happened last year as Swiatek was playing great as she won Stuttgart and made the Madrid final but then lost to Aryna Sabalenka. This year, Swiatek may have lost in the Stuttgart semifinal but she is again playing great on clay at the start of the clay swing.
Addressing her hopes of lifting her first Madrid title, Swiatek highlighted that she is not thinking about either her 2023 Madrid final loss to Sabalenka or her current form.
“[It’s] Still a long way to go. Every tournament is a different story,” Swiatek noted.
“It doesn’t really matter what happened last year. I think that match was called the match of the year. Pretty good tennis here.
“I just want to use the experience I had last year and try to do the best work possible and do everything step by step.”
Iga Swiatek © Getty Images Sport – Clive Brunskill
Swiatek is only missing a Madrid title
On clay, Swiatek is a dominant force and already has three French Open titles, two titles at a WTA 1000 tournament in Rome and also has won twice a WTA 500 tournament in Stuttgart. But in Madrid, Swiatek has yet to lift a title.
“Obviously [winning Madrid would mean] a lot. Winning any tournament like that, a big one, is a big thing. It’s not something you get used to. You always want to fight for it,” Swiatek said after her opening win in Madrid.
In her next Madrid match, Swiatek will play against Spain’s Sara Sorribes Tormo, against whom she has a 3-0 head-to-head.
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