World No 1 Iga Swiatek revealed her exhausted and fatigued body was hurting to the point that she was struggling to get any sleep after the US Open final. At this past US Open, Swiatek clinched her third Grand Slam title and her first Grand Slam title outside the French Open.
“The cramps were so unbearable, I could barely sleep. During such an event there is a lot of stress. It is not until the end that you start to realize how hard it was. When you no longer are obliged to perform, when the adrenaline fades away, and the excitement cools off – that’s when you feel it.
The night after the final was very difficult. Suffering sleeplessly, I thought to myself, that there are athletes who experience such pain each time they perform, and I felt lucky that in tennis it rarely happens. I survived and it’s all good now, however that was one of the hardest moments this year.
When this season is done, I need a long vacation to fully recover,” Swiatek told sport.pl.
Swiatek: I’m rested enough just to be able to compete at the WTA Finals
Swiatek has won eight titles this year and she has played 72 matches.
After winning the San Diego Open 10 days ago, Swiatek went to Florida for a short rest. Now, Swiatek is in Fort Worth, Texas, where she is preparing to compete at the WTA Finals. Swiatek is far from feeling fresh but at least she feels well enough to go out to compete.
“I rested for 2 days in Florida, and on Monday we flew to Texas. I’ve recovered somewhat, at least to be able to play in the Finals. After that, I’m going to need a longer rest period. It takes more time for me to recover nowadays.
After the Australian Open, I felt fully rested just after 2 of the 5 days I had off court. I felt fresh and ready. This wasn’t the case after US Open,” Swiatek said.
