From being a largely unknown 19-year-old, ranked 54th in the world, to an instant celebrity in just 18 months, Swiatek arrived in Paris as overwhelming favorite, having won all five tournaments before the claycourt major
Newly crowned French Open champion Iga Swiatek has credited hard work behind her success in Paris, unlike her 2020 Roland Garros win when she said she felt lucky to win on the Parisian clay.
World No. 1 Swiatek, who beat American teenager Coco Gauff 6-1, 6-3 in Saturday's final at Roland Garros, went from being a largely unknown 19-year-old, ranked 54th in the world, to instant celebrity status after lifting her first Suzanne Lenglen Cup 18 months ago.
But she arrived in Paris last month as the overwhelming favorite, having won all five tournaments she had played before the claycourt major.
"I think in 2020 the main thing that I felt was confusion because I have never really believed 100% that I can actually win a Grand Slam," the Pole, who turned 21 last week, told reporters.
"This time it was pure work. Just with everything that was going on, I'm also like more aware of how it is to win a Grand Slam and what it takes and how every puzzle has to come together and basically every aspect of the game has to work.
"With that awareness, I was even more happy and even more proud of myself, because in 2020 ... I just felt that I'm lucky. This time I felt like I really did the work."
Swiatek struggled to handle her newfound fame after becoming a first-time major winner but said she felt more prepared this time for what would follow and "even ready to celebrate a little bit more".
The setting was also different from the 2020 final for Swiatek, with that tournament in Paris played with a limited number of spectators in the stands due to the coronavirus pandemic.
On Saturday, the 15,000-capacity center court was full and among those cheering for Swiatek was Poland's football captain and striker Robert Lewandowski.
'Something special'
Swiatek did not drop a set during her 2020 triumph and lost just one during this year's Roland Garros campaign, extending her winning run to 35 matches.
That took her past Serena Williams' winning streak of 34 matches while she equaled Venus Williams with Saturday's win over Gauff on Court Philippe Chatrier.
"It may seem pretty weird, but having that 35th win and kind of doing something more than Serena did, it's something special," Swiatek added.
"Because I always wanted ... to have some kind of a record. In tennis, it's pretty hard after Serena's career. So basically that really hit me.
Swiatek has now won both her majors on clay and having already proved earlier in the season that she has the game to dominate on hardcourts, she will turn her attention to grass – a surface on which she has not had much success – with Wimbledon starting from June 27.
"My coach (Tomasz Wiktorowski) believes I can win more matches on grass. I don't know about that yet," she said with a smile. "But I would like to add like one or two. Yeah, but honestly, grass is always tricky.
"I actually like the part that I have no expectations there. It's something kind of refreshing.
"I'm going to just prepare my best. And maybe with the experiences he had with (Poland's former world No. 2) Aga Radwanska, it was her favourite surface, he's going to give me some tips that are actually going to be really helpful, and I'm going to enjoy playing on grass a little bit more."