Iga Swiatek said a chat with Serena Williams as the 23-time Grand Slam champion toured the US Open grounds on Saturday was a “positive kick” before her third-round 6-4, 6-2 victory over Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova. 

Current World No. 1 Swiatek was spotted talking with Williams in the players’ gym at Flushing Meadows. Far from finding it a disruption to her match preparations, Swiatek said it “more inspired me and it gave me, like, a positive kick, so it was nice.”