The big favorite to win the Australian Open, Iga Sviatek, left the first Grand Slam of the year in the eighth round. Before the performance in Doha and Dubai, the Pole admits that she tried to lower her expectations (now that is the goal): she cannot play perfectly all the time.

Iga SvyatekPhoto: Dubreuil Corinne/ABACA/Abaca Press/Profimedia

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Iga Sviatek and the goal of lowering his expectations – He knows that he cannot always play perfectly

In 2022, Iga won eight tournaments, two of which were Grand Slam tournaments: Roland Garros and the US Open. She also marked a streak of 37 consecutive victories, which entered the history of Romanian women’s tennis.

The unexpected loss in Melbourne made Sviatek want to take the pressure off her, as the Pole came to the conclusion that she cannot always play perfectly.

“I really wanted to focus on lowering my expectations and not expecting to play perfectly all the time. Last season (No. 2022) was so strange that it can cause a state of confusion.

I wanted to get both feet on the ground, focus on my job and what I have to do on the field. Training was intense and loud. I feel like I can really focus on the technical aspects,” he says Iga Svyatek.

“I want to start this tournament like any other player and we all do, we start from the same place. I have so many matches to win, so many obstacles to overcome that I just want to focus on the next step,” the world leader concluded.

At the age of 21, Iga will debut on the WTA in Doha against the American Danielle Collins (42nd in the world ranking). The Pole is the untitled champion of Qatar, WTA 500 competition.

In 2022, Sviatek won the following tournaments: Doha, Indian Wells, Miami, Stuttgart, Rome, San Diego, Roland Garros and the US Open.

The Qatar TotalEnergies Open (from Doha) takes place from February 13 to 18 on hard, is part of the WTA 500 category, has a total prize pool of $780,637, and the title champion is Iga Sviatek (title won in 2022).

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