Sawt Falasteen - 'People don't know me', says defiant Swiatek ahead of French Open defence

Speaking to AFP on Friday just days out from the start of her title defence at Roland Garros, the five-time Grand Slam winner said "people don't know me so they should stop finding reasons" for her struggles in 2025.

Swiatek fell at the semi-final stage of the Australian Open in January to eventual winner Madison Keys despite holding match point in the topsy-turvy tie.

Since then, the 23-year-old has failed to reach a final this season and slipped to surprising defeats to Coco Gauff in the last four at Madrid and to Danielle Collins in the third round of the Italian Open.

"Obviously it (losing in Melbourne) hurt because I was super close, and I never had a situation where I lost from a match point. So it was a little bit different," Swiatek said.

However, the Pole insisted the defeat was not haunting her despite her poor subsequent form.

"I wouldn't say (it hurt) for a long time, because it's my fifth year on tour, or sixth. So I already understand there's no point of being in a bad place for a long time after a match you lost," she explained.

"I was, on the other hand, happy with my performance in Australia, because all my matches were really solid, and my level was high.

"So when I looked at the whole tournament and the whole picture, you know, I was happy about it. Obviously, after a loss like that, you feel bad emotions, but then..."

After completing the triple crown on clay last year, following up victories at the Madrid Open and Rome by lifting her fourth title in Paris, Swiatek heads into the 2025 edition of the French Open in a very different place.

She has dropped to fifth in the world ranking, is trophyless this season and has lost her aura of invincibility on the red dirt.

However, her early exit from the Italian Open earlier this month has provided Swiatek more time to prepare for Paris and she said she has used that time well.

"You know, right now, I felt like I had the most peaceful time to practice since the beginning of the season," Swiatek said.

"It has been going great. And on a practice court, I feel really good. We were working on some details in my serve and my forehand. But overall, you know, it looks great. I just need to implement that during the matches."

In addition to working on technical aspects of her game, Swiatek added she had thought deeply about her approach to matches.

"In every match, you need different solutions. So it's not like you have one recipe of how you should do this," she said.

"For sure, I didn't play well against Danielle in Rome. And I took some time to think about why, and I found some solutions.

"But, you know, knowing the theory is the other thing, and doing it is the other."

Swiatek will have the perfect opportunity to put that theory into practice when she opens her Roland Garros campaign against world number 41 Rebecca Sramkova of Slovakia.

V.AbuAwwad--SF-PST