ITF

ITF World Winter 2020 11 "I always believed in myself and when I was thinking about winning a Grand Slam, I always thought I would do it when I was about 24 or 25, but never thought I could do it when I was 19. "There are challenges and the popularity and attention are new for me, but it is what I have worked for and I am in the position I always wanted to be in. I am working really hard to handle it and, with my team, trying to keep everything cool. I think I am going to be okay." Warsaw-born Swiatek's domination at Roland Garros – she did not drop a set during any of her seven matches and lost only 28 games in total – has caught the imagination of the Polish nation. As well as being granted wall-to-wall media coverage, she was invited to meet president Andrzej Duda, although was subsequently required to quarantine after the Polish premier tested positive for Covid-19 only hours later. The ongoing pandemic has caused devastation and destruction in Poland, throughout Europe and across the world, yet Swiatek hopes her triumph can be a unifying force within her own country and beyond. "Right now, Polish people are quite divided by what is going on with politics and I want tennis to bring people together," she said. "I think my success could be the first step. I was the first Polish player to win a singles title at a Grand Slam and we needed something positive with the pandemic spreading. "I hope it [the positivity] is going to last a little bit longer because the situation with the pandemic in the world is still bad. We need to find reasons to cheer and be together in these times." Until her victory march in Paris, Swiatek had never previously gone beyond the fourth round at a Grand Slam and, for the more casual observer, this was their first glimpse of the sport's latest star. She was the definition of composure on court and wowed in front of the world's media. One particular quotation about learning to play tennis on her PlayStation struck a chord and reflected her Generation Z status, which her poise and maturity often defied. "Actually, I just played one game sometimes. I am not a gamer and I didn't play a lot but I remember that when I did play, the next day on court I always wanted to play like the players I was on the game," added Swiatek, who enjoys rock music and is a fan of AC/DC and Pink Floyd. "I always played as Rafa [Nadal] – and on another version as Lindsay Davenport because she is really tall – so maybe that's why I am a topspin player now and maybe I got used to that by playing video games. Maybe not a big one, but I think it had some influence." Swiatek's progress has been rapid but she certainly did not appear by magic. Two years ago, she was celebrating a Junior Grand Slam victory at Wimbledon and is rooted in the ITF player pathway. She contested two of the ITF's flagship junior team tournaments, initially cutting her teeth in the 14-and-under age category at the 2014 ITF World Junior Tennis Finals in Prostejov. Two years later, Swiatek was the star of her nation's Junior Billie Jean King Cup (then known as Junior Fed Cup) by BNP Paribas campaign as Poland went the distance and defeated the United States to stand aloft as the best 16-and-under girls' team on the planet. A gold medal in doubles at the 2018 Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires followed, as did titles on the ITF World Tennis Tour Juniors and at professional events – all of which laid the foundations for her achievements at Roland Garros. "It was a big step playing in Europe and I always wanted my career to go step by step – and right now I have won a Grand Slam at 19 so I guess the plan didn't really work out," she joked. "I played in Poland until I was 12 when I started travelling to Europe, playing European Championships and team events. I got the chance IGA SWIATEK INTERVIEW Left Swiatek is rooted in the ITF player pathway, playing here at the 2014 ITF World Junior Tennis Finals in Prostejov Above Swiatek, right, tasted Junior Billie Jean King Cup, then known as Junior Fed Cup, glory in 2016

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