Iga Swiatek continued her winning streak on the Asian swing after emerging victorious in her opening match at the China Open.
A week after Swiatek clinched the Korean Open title, the Pole got off to a strong start in Beijing, besting Yue Yuan in straight sets, 6-0, 6-3.
With her 6-0 score in the first set, the 24-year-old is also now the player with the most bagels at WTA 1000 events since the inception of the format.
Despite the dominant victory, however, Swiatek appeared agitated at a question in her post-match press conference.
Iga Swiatek’s snappy answer in her press conference in Beijing
A journalist asked the six-time Grand Slam champion: “Iga, watching you over the last few years, to me it looks like in the last maybe year, 18 months, you seem to have changed a bit in your personality when you’re playing a match.
“It just seems to come across that there is more animation, a bit more aggression. Would that be fair to say?
“If that’s the case, do you think that has also maybe come about since Aryna took over the No. 1 ranking and you’re showing more determination to get that back?”
Swiatek responded: “Well, thank you for overanalysing, but… No, like, I don’t even know how to answer that ’cause, no, I’m not a different person because I’m No. 2.
“I’m not behaving differently because I’m No. 2. Like, I don’t think about it every day. I don’t think about it, especially during the match when I have work to do.
“I think maybe, I don’t know, I’m different because I’m older or more experienced or sometimes, I don’t know, whatever. But the rankings have nothing to do with that, I would say.
“Okay, there are tournaments when maybe I felt like at the beginning of the year, when I posted this Instagram explanation, I was thinking about No. 1 maybe a little bit too much.
“But yeah, this is just like a moment or few weeks. It’s never going to be that your personality on court is changing because of something like that, in my opinion, because that would be weird. That would have too much impact on you and it wouldn’t be healthy, I guess.”
Iga Swiatek becomes first to achieve WTA 1000 feat in Beijing
After booking her place in the third round of the China Open, Swiatek became the first player to register 25 or more wins at WTA 1000 level in three consecutive seasons since the introduction of the format in 2009.
She has won 11 titles overall at such events, the latest of which she claimed at the Cincinnati Open in August.
Last season, she matched her best year in WTA 1000 competitions, securing victories in Qatar, Indian Wells, Madrid and Rome.
The world number two will face Camila Osorio in the next round of the China Open.
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