On Tuesday, Swiatek faces Kasatkina, before Garcia meets Gauff.
Given everything the 21-year-old Swiatek has accomplished this year — and it’s a lot — how does she stay motivated?
The answer she offered was somewhat surprising: She doesn’t, necessarily.
“I feel like I also accepted that I don’t have to feel … always 100% motivated. Sometimes, especially after Grand Slams, when you are playing these smaller tournaments, you feel the energy level is a little bit lower,” Swiatek said. “But on the other hand, when I’m going on court, it’s still the same, and I always want to win. I’m basing my motivation on that.”
She summed it up this way: “It’s OK, sometimes, to not be so pumped, you know?”