The Polish Iga Swiatek, number 1 in the world, lamented her defeat in the semifinals of the WTA 1000 in Indian Wells, California, on Friday night against the Kazakh Elena Rybakina, in 10th place, by a double 6/2.
The Polish, who defended the title, explained that she was suffering from pain: “Of course I’m sad to have lost, but the balance of this tournament is very positive for me. I assume that against Elena I have to play much better, but today I wasn’t 100% because I dealt with some rib issues. I’m going to talk to the doctor now. I’m not used to playing with pain or injuries, I have to do several tests to find out what it is. Honestly, it hasn’t been easy for me to stay focused with discomfort, I’m not used to it. I think the last time I competed with pain was at Roland Garros 2019 and the level of demand was not the same”, she warned her. In principle she wants to go to Miami, but it will depend on the exams.
Swiatek praised Rybakina who defeated her for the second time in a row: “I can’t say if Elena will be my tormentor or if it will be difficult for me to beat her. A few years ago I played against her and it went well, with Sabalenka I also played good games. I feel that I can play great tennis against this type of opponent, but I am also aware that I have room to improve as a tennis player. The last two clashes with Rybakina were not positive, but I will learn from them”, he said.
