Caroline Garcia says Iga Swiatek looks like a bit of “a robot” in an emotional aspect and adds she sees a bit of Novak Djokovic in the Polish world No. 1 who has dominated the women’s game for the past two years.
After Ashleigh Barty shockingly retired from tennis at the age of 25 while still being the top-ranked player in the world, Swiatek took the throne from the former three-time Grand Slam champion and since then she has been widely considered the best player in women’s tennis.
Since Barty’s retirement, Swiatek has added three Grand Slam titles to her collection and this Monday 104th week at the world No. 1 spot. And one of the biggest reasons behind Swiatek’s major success at an early age has been her mental strength and the ability to come out on top even when facing a challenging and difficult situation.
But Swiatek being very strong in the mental aspect isn’t particularly surprising when you take into account the fact that the 22-year-old Pole has been working with sports psychologist Daria Abramowicz for over five years now.
“Not in the bad sense of the word, but you have a bit of a robot in front with a bit of emotion. One of the first who really brought all the mental preparation, psychologist, etc…” Garcia said on the Zack en Roue Libre podcast.
Not only Swiatek is very strong in the mental aspect, but her game is also very complete as her movement, court coverage and defense are widely regarded as one of the best in the game. Garcia is the first to acknowledge that and says she sees Djokovic’s characteristics in the Pole since the 22-year-old “does not have a weak point.”
“Big coverage of the ground quite similar to Djokovic bit and you have the impression that you don’t have a weak point, you don’t have too many openings. You have a bit of a wall. You do something which is good but you’re happy with it and it’s true that it’s still quite impressive.”
Iga Swiatek and Caroline Garcia © Getty Images Sport – Tom Pennington
What Djokovic said about Swiatek last year?
Last year, record 24-time Grand Slam champion Djokovic was asked if he had any thoughts of Swiatek’s game. Answering the question, Djokovic revealed that he was following Swiatek’s results and that he was impressed with what the Pole had been able to achieve.
Also, world No. 1 Djokovic also spoke very highly of Swiatek’s personality and how she carries herself on and off the court.
“Well, Iga has been dominating the women’s game last couple of years, multiple Grand Slam winner. I love her, you know, devotion, dedication,” Djokovic said of Swiatek in his pre-tournament press conference at last year’s US Open.
“Also, you know, maybe she’s too humble to say, too modest to say, but she’s got a great fighting spirit, no doubt. She’s a warrior, goes out there and, you know, doesn’t give a single game. Actually she has probably the most bagels of anyone in women’s tennis the last few years.
“It speaks about how seriously and professionally she’s taking every single point and game on the court. So that’s very admirable. I really like that kind of champion spirit and mindset.”
Iga Swiatek © Getty Images Sport – Clive Mason
What Swiatek said about her work with a sports psychologist?
Since February 2019, sports psychologist Abramowicz has been a part of Swiatek’s team and has regularly traveled with the Pole. By accompanying Swiatek all over the world during the entire season, Abramowicz had a chance to get a great insight into how the Pole reacts and responds in pretty much every situation.
And when Swiatek asked about Abramowicz’s role in one of her interviews from 2022, Swiatek admitted that it was very important for her to have someone with whom she could always talk to. At the time, Swiatek also noted that she preferred to be regularly accompanied by a sports psychologist rather than just meet for a couple of monthly sessions.
“It depends on the player how they wanna work because for some players it’s okay to just have a few sessions a month,” Swiatek told Eurosport in 2022.
“I, for example, felt like it’s pretty nice that my psychologist is travelling with me because it would be hard for me to trust somebody if somebody wouldn’t be here and wouldn’t see how I react after I lose, how I react after I win, and basically it’s easier when we got to know each other.
“It all depends, it’s not like everybody should do it the same way, everybody should think about their own path.”
Iga Swiatek and Daria Abramowicz © Getty Images Sport – Clive Brunskill
Meanwhile, Swiatek has had a perfect preparation for her French Open title defense as she arrived in Paris this week coming off back-to-back wins in Madrid and Rome.
If Swiatek wins it all at Roland Garros again this year, she will have four French Open titles in her collection and overall five Grand Slams.
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