ROME – After winning a gruelling Madrid Open final last weekend, world No. 1 Iga Swiatek now has to quickly readjust to the clay in Rome for the Italian Open which began on May 7.
The Pole said she had spent the first two days in Rome “eating” after “the most intense and crazy final” in Madrid where she beat Aryna Sabalenka in 3hr 11min on May 4.
It was a short but well-deserved break, as the three-time French Open champion also said that players were feeling rushed by the expanded format of Masters events which have ballooned to nearly two weeks long and which leave little or no time for physical and mental recovery.
“Overall, the tour is getting more and more demanding because of the length of the tournaments and all these mandatory rules, both on ATP and WTA,” Swiatek said.
“Scheduling-wise, the planning is going to be more important, sometimes even (missing) some tournaments that are important for you, for you to be ready for the next one.”
The top seed will make her Rome start in the second round after a bye, playing American Bernarda Pera.
Swiatek, who won the 2021 and 2022 editions at the Foro Italico before exiting a year ago in the quarter-finals to eventual champion Elena Rybakina, added that the calendar squeeze on players can be huge.
“Even if I win (a tournament), it doesn’t stick in my head. I celebrate for one day, then I’m off to another tournament,” she said, referring to the quick transition from Madrid to Rome.
“We don’t have time to rest properly. You have to use these days (between long-running events) and treat them a little bit like days off. These tournaments are longer and it’s not possible to have days off (like) before.”
Her thoughts were echoed by men’s world No. 5 Alexander Zverev, who said the new Masters format gives top players fewer opportunities to recharge their batteries as they spend more time away from home.
“Yes, you do get told you have a day in between, you don’t have to play every day. But at the end of the day that’s not resting,” the German said.
“Resting is when you’re spending time at home, sleeping in your own bed, maybe with your family, your dogs, your kids. A day between matches, if you’re at a different place, that’s not resting.”
Swiatek said she is nevertheless glad to be in Rome.
“I’m happy to be here because I love this place. I spent my first two days eating,” the 22-year-old joked on May 7.
“For sure it’s a challenge to adapt. But it’s nice to have problems like that.”
As Swiatek gets into her groove, world No. 3 Coco Gauff said on the same day that she was dedicating training time prior to her second-round start in Italy to cleaning up her serve.
The American was plagued by multiple double faults in her last-16 defeat by compatriot Madison Keys in Madrid.
“I had like 13 double faults. If I just fix that detail, it will save me,” she said.
“For me it’s just serving better than I did last week. If I can work through that, it will set me up for a very good Roland Garros.”
Former world No. 1 Naomi Osaka, continuing her start-stop return from a maternity break, got going in the second set after a tight start to beat France’s Clara Burel 7-6 (7-2), 6-1 in their first-round encounter.
She will face Ukrainian 19th seed Marta Kostyuk, who lost in the Stuttgart final in April, in the second round on May 9. AFP, REUTERS
