Iga Swiatek is the pride of Poland, a former World No.1, who has put the small European country on the tennis map with her already legendary exploits. The six-time Major champion recently opened up about how she enjoyed being a European as much as she did being a Pole, while still having the occasional struggles with privacy while staying at home.

“Polish. But even more so European, but Polish,” said Swiatek on the Natalia Szymańczyk podcast

It is not a huge surprise that Swiatek does not always enjoy the added scrutiny she faces at home, with the Polish media trained on her all the time. She is a private and introverted person who does not do well under the glare of the media spotlight, something which she shared in the same interview.

“It would be nice to have a place where I could go and have a little more privacy,” said Swiatek in the interview. “Now that I’m in Warsaw and coming back after tournaments, I don’t have the freedom to go anywhere for coffee or a cake at a restaurant because I’m constantly being watched.”

“Today in Warsaw, I was testing it out. I was shopping at Elektrownia Powiśle, and it was tough. In 30 minutes, 8 people approached me. I always have to be ready for a photo. It throws off the rhythm of my own life”.

However, Swiatek does not have any other residences, unlike other top players, who have secondary homes in locations such as Monte Carlo and Dubai. The Pole still stays in Raszyn without much fanfare, keeping her family and team close. However, she does have the odd penchant for visiting other European locations such as Greece, where she visited after her Wimbledon win last year.

Even on the Tour, the Pole has praised European locations, loving the food in Rome during the Italian Open and her fondness for Spain, as she often hits the practice courts at the Rafa Nadal Academy in Mallorca. Therefore, a European location makes sense for her as a second home, should she ever choose to have one.

For the time being, Swiatek has kept her circle close, which the Pole will need if she has to have a resurgence on the Tour. The upcoming North American swing is vital for the Pole to remain in the Top 10 on the WTA Rankings. She’s already down to 8th and will have points to defend in Cincinnati and at the US Open, as she won the former and reached the quarterfinals in the latter last year.