Iga Swiatek shrugged off the claims that she only wins in Indian Wells because of the surface as the Pole thinks such comments are "nonsense."
ADVERTISEMENT
Since debuting at the tournament in 2021, the world No. 2 has gone 20-2 and has won two titles. Evidently, the Pole enjoys very much playing in the desert. But her critics love to point out at the fact that Indian Wells has one of the slowest hard-court conditions on the Tour.
This year, Swiatek made a lightning start to her title defense, destroying Caroline Garcia 6-2 6-0 and Dayana Yastremska 6-0 6-2 to set up a round-of-16 meeting versus Karolina Muchova.
"Well, you know, it's never only about the surface. Like, I could also play to the fence and not win here on the slower surface (smiling). So I guess it's always -- honestly, you can say that about any win at any surface that any player has. It doesn't really make sense," the two-time Indian Wells champion explained.
ADVERTISEMENT
Swiatek: The surface helps but you still need to do the job
After highlighting that the surface isn't the only reason behind her Indian Wells success, the 23-year-old acknowledged it plays a part. However, she also noted that there are other things that contribute to her success in the desert, like the tournament being a two-week event.
"I just for sure the surface helps, but it's not the only thing. You still need to do the job. I've always been pretty focused here and also accepting the mistakes that are gonna happen this dry air, you know. I always had time before to do solid work. It wasn't like I was rushed anywhere," Swiatek added.
In her next match, the Pole will clash against Muchova for the fifth time, in what will be a rematch of the 2023 French Open final. The Pole leads their head-to-head 3-1 and has won both of their hard-court meetings.
