“Wimbledon Champion 2025 gave an interview to the Polish media”, – WRITE: Sport.ua
– You became the heroine of a musical piece, David has mentioned you ten times at the last Zorza concert in Warsaw, the macaron manufacturer plans to produce a racket product, LEGO has your figure, and the macaron recipe with strawberries has conquered the New York Times. Thanks to these successes-in particular, the latter-do you feel part of pop culture? Went beyond sports?
– Yes, although I confess, I did not expect that the pasta with strawberries would cause such a hype (laughs). Honestly, I was not going to do this sensation in an interview. But because of this, I realized that sometimes we can influence something without even realizing it. Allegedly, I have known what I have an image, but I didn’t think he could affect such banal things. Now we are discussing how I could use my voice, and we launch different initiatives, but the glory of the macaroni with strawberries, caused by just one phrase after the match, exactly did not enter our plans (laughs). It’s incredible. In general, I would like to use my awareness in important matters.
– Wimbledon looked like a cultural event. You were given instructions before meeting with the Duchess Katherine, I read that you with Yannik had a choice – to dance a winning dance or not … They say that you convinced the Yannik for a dance. Wanted the maximum impressions from Wimbledon or we just didn’t know that you were the “star of the dance floor”?
– I am glad that you have heard it, but it is not quite so (laughs). Honestly, I had never danced ballroom dancing before and I was sure that I could cope. I had a long dress in which I couldn’t even walk without support my hand. I think it was a typical problem of women’s outfit (laughs).
Yannik and I thought for a long time whether to dance or not. Later, the organizers arranged everything that we both agreed. I think Jannik was also in a good mood and wanted to dance. The dance itself turned out to be wonderful. I knew that it would not be difficult – rather such influenzes from foot to foot – and this made it easier for the task. If it were something more difficult, I would not have managed without a workout.
Funny, but I have already promised the coach that we would add dancing to the grass training for the future – just in case. Everything came out well. We shortened the dress – ten centimeters. Yannik was a great partner. Although I was very doubtful, then I thanked the organizer of the dinner – she did my best for us to dance, despite the internal barriers. I think it was a moment that will stay with us forever.
– Once we are talking about populture – in 2022, Taco Hemingway and David sung in the rhythm of Tamagotchi: “Drink, eat, play as Iga Syontek.” Were there moments when your life really looked like that? I refer to Wim Fissett’s words in an interview with Ben Rothenberg. He said that when you did not go, you still refused a rest. Immediately after the tournament, they went to the court again. He said you are a tennis player who loves workout, even when difficult.
– Yes, workouts have never been a problem for me. Sometimes it is during them that I play my best tennis – because I feel that I can completely open, no matter what is happening around. There is no whole of this tournament atmosphere. Our sport is global, there is a lot of competitions during the competition. And in training I can focus on technique and improvement – it is not necessary to adapt to the game of a rival.
I love to train if only a mitzik (Macieus Rishchuk) does not give me such a load, after which I barely move. But even after such classes, I always have positive feelings. Not always during the season when the matches go one after the other, there is time for a quiet workout and to be transferred to the game. I had this opportunity before Roland Garros and before the herbal season. It helped me feel confidence faster.
– Matsey Rishchuk described you as a person who trusts his tennis. Hence the difficulty of changing – for example, with a position at the reception?
– I think in this case I was wrong because of lack of experience. Despite all the victories, this happens. I got too hung up that I helped me win in 2022 and 2023. The changes we then introduced with Tomasz Viktorovsky – to play closer to the ball, earlier to enter the draw … From the player, which was called the “baseline” (playing from the back line), I became a tennis player. It was strongly engraved in my head. I was missing the imagination to understand – in a few years it is worth changing something, because rivals are also studying my game.
Indeed, VIM has long persuaded me to move further at the reception. Often we talked about it, but because of a tight schedule – tournaments, a short rest, recovery – we did not have time to work out. So it was difficult for me to trust.
Only after Rome, when I lost early – that it seemed like a tragedy – I had ten days to try new. I conducted three workouts with men – it is impossible to stand there at the reception, you just won’t take a serving. I got great. And in the match with Elena Rybakina, when I started playing and screaming me from the bed, that I would retreat, I remembered those workouts and thought: “They were successful – I will trust.” I retreated – and since then I know that this is some of my tools. Now I use it more often. But it took me the time to get it.
– Many experts believe that ten days on Majorca in front of Wimbledon were crucial. Maciej then put an exercise in a special shoe that straightened your legs. What was it?
– Maciej has a lot of equipment that makes the workout very difficult (laughs). When we worked on the ground, I had shoes with gums that pulled me down. In the case you are talking about, everything was the opposite – these shoes straightened my feet. I cannot explain exactly. You should interview Maciej. We just activated the necessary muscle groups as he wanted. It worked.
– How do you feel the game on the grass now?
– Very good. I will not play on it next eleven months, so there is nothing to focus on, but then I felt great. I played intuitively, my tennis is not like soil. At the end of Wimbledon, I fully trusted my intuition. The feed was great, and I was confidently moving forward.
– How much was the lightness and smile on Wimbledon because the pressure became lower? It was no longer necessary to protect a bunch of points in the rating, and the expectations, apparently, was there smaller? Was the key to Daria Abramovich? She said that you worked on rethinking of beliefs, confidence and ability to use strengths.
– Everything that Darius said was happening after Rome. In addition to the tennis work I was talking about, there was a serious mental work. Then I did not perceive my tennis in a positive way. Changing how I spoke to myself on the court, how I reacted on the win The wound of the glasses, was grueling. I think it is a process that needs constant attention. You can’t achieve something, feel better – and leave everything as it is. It is important now to maintain it.
Mentally I went out on the right path. It was also because of my stubbornness. Darius has been signaling for several weeks that something needed to be changed. Unfortunately, I resisted, did as the right one. Sometimes even for a wonderful team you do not make the best solutions. But as soon as I started working better, I felt that my tennis helps me. Then it is easier to cope with stress.
But I think the situation was a little easier for what I said – that I am not very comfortable on Wimbledon that I do not fully feel grass. People have apparently reduced expectations. Although, honestly, immediately after Bad-Gurburg, on Media Day, the first two questions were for me-“Do you consider yourself a favorite of Wimbledon?” I think the pressure will always be with me – I won six tournaments of a big helmet. Sometimes it is easier to handle, sometimes more difficult. The best players are able to ignore it and focus on themselves.
– In the post about Wimbledon you wrote that it was a dream so far that it didn’t even think. Once one dream has come true – what else do you have “unattainable” goals?
– From childhood, I dreamed of winning all four tournaments of a great helmet. I stopped talking about it, because Wimbledon seemed unattainable to me. And now I understand – it is quite real. I will work hard to do so. But I do not want to turn it into an obsessive goal. For me, the main thing is to constantly develop as a tennis player and athlete. My greatest desire is to focus quietly on work so that people trust that we do the team with the team that I have specialists who know their business, even if the result is not immediately noticeable. Hard work always pays off. This will always be fair.
That’s what I wish. And, of course, the gold medal of the Olympiad – but I will think about it in two years.
