Video: Iga Swiatek feeling fresh as season ends

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SAN DIEGO, Calif. – After a grueling week in Ostrava, where she reached the final only to lose a marathon three-setter to Barbora Krejcikova, it wouldn’t have been a shock to see world No. 1 Iga Swiatek take a pass on this week’s tournament in San Diego.

It’s nine time zones away, and there’s the adjustment from indoor hard to sunny (well, theoretically) outdoors, with all that goes with that.

But it wasn’t really an option for Swiatek, who is not entered in the WTA 1000 in Guadalajara next week and didn’t want to go three weeks before playing the WTA Tour Finals in Texas.

Besides, she says she’s feeling fresh. And eager.

Here is what the world No. 1 had to say on Tuesday, as she arrived in San Diego and prepared to play her first match.

(Swiatek kept shielding her eyes because when she came to do her media stuff, the sun was right in the wrong spot and right in her eyes. They’ve since adjusted the area so that won’t happen again!)

After a bye, it’ll be a second-round encounter, and not an easy one.

Swiatek will face lucky loser Zheng Qinwen of China, who turned 20 just a few days ago and is No. 28 in the world.

(And yes, she actually lost in the qualifying here – and got in late, after Elena Rybakina arrived in San Diego and pulled out due to illness).