How Iga Swiatek Keeps Her Rivals Guessing Every Match

Iga Swiatek discussed how tennis players must constantly evolve.

Aug 31, 2024; Flushing, NY, USA; Iga Swiatek (POL) reacts after beating Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova on day six of the 2024 U.S. Open tennis tournament at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports / Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports

Women's World No. 1 tennis player Iga Swiatek faces Liudmila Samsonova in the US Open later tonight. But fans should not expect Swiatek to look the same in the Round of 16 as she did in the Round of 32.

When speaking with the press at the US Open, Swiatek discussed the importance of evolving as a player. She avoided comparing players from different eras, instead focusing on her own evolution.

Swiatek said, "I feel like my opponents didn't really know what to expect from me and how I play."

Iga Swiatek says you need to constantly be improving as a tennis player, ‘It’s not like you can keep playing the same tennis. People will figure it out’

“Many players say that women's tennis is evolving so fast. If you stay in the same level, it's not good enough to be same… pic.twitter.com/HHrX7LqZhz

— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) September 2, 2024

She continued, "People will figure it out, and it's going to be much harder to win. So, yeah, I think in these terms rather than if I'm getting, you know, if tennis is getting overall better and better, because it's hard for me to judge.

But I think, yeah, you need to kind of mix up your game, because at the beginning, you might be there for a while, but then everybody will analyze you and focus on how to win against you."

Fans can watch Swiatek take on Samsonova at 7:00 p.m. EST on ESPN. Tennis fans can say locked into Sports Illustrated's Serve on SI for all the most important news from the sport.

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