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Iga Swiatek loves cars. And she likes to drive fast – only that is when she has everything under control. It is something that is very important to the Pole, “Porsche Friend” and two-time winner of the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix. “Being in control is important for me,” she says, “in life and on court.”
Whilst participating at the Western & Southern Open, the Porsche-supported Masters in Cincinnati, Iga Swiatek gave the German “tennis Magazin” an interview which can be read in the latest edition of the magazine. In it, she talks about her love of driving which has become even bigger due to the sports cars made in Zuffenhausen that she was able to take home as the winner of the 2022 and 2023 Porsche Tennis Grand Prix. Traffic conditions in Poland however do not always allow her to drive as she would like.
When driving fast cars on normal roads, it’s impossible to extract the car’s full potential,” says the tennis star who drove a Porsche Cayenne Turbo GT when at the tournament in Ohio. “I love being able to take advantage of the power in certain situations, like when overtaking. Being able to accelerate quickly if necessary gives me a feeling of safety.” On her bucket list is a few fast laps in a Porsche around the Silesia Ring, the newest Polish racetrack near Oppeln. “I’d love,” she says, “to feel the adrenalin.” She loves driving fast “if I have everything under control. Being in control is important to me.” One of the things she particularly likes about the Porsche Panamera she drives privately is “the control at higher speeds”.
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She has not yet had a serious go at sports like skiing and surfing in which many people look for a kick. “I’ve unfortunately never had the chance to learn a sport like surfing properly,” she says. “It’s very difficult having a tennis pro’s schedule. I once had a couple of hours of surfing instruction, but the first lessons are always difficult. You fall into the water, get back onto the board and fall back into the water. It’s all a part of the game.”
When asked about her idols, Iga Swiatek, the two-time winner of the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix, names two players: Martina Navratilova und Rafael Nadal. “I had the chance to talk to Martina Navratilova about technique. Her knowledge and everything she has achieved in the sport is indescribable,” she says when talking about the most successful player at the long-standing Stuttgart tournament. She has idolised Rafael Nadal ever since she was a youngster: “When I played my first junior Grand Slam at the age of 15, it became clear that Rafael Nadal is one of my heroes.” Afterwards, she watched his games more and more often and she says she tried to find out what it takes to play at the top. The thing she particularly admires about him: “He never gives up, he represents the right values and he’s kept his feet on the ground. He’s still the same even though he’s so successful. That’s what I particularly like about him.”
