World No. 1 Iga Swiatek showed her champion's grit at the Italian Open, battling past Caty McNally 6-1, 6-7, 6-3 to reach the third round. The defending champion admitted it was far from her best performance, but she found a way to win when it mattered most.

"For sure, it was a tough match. Caty really played great," Swiatek said after the match. "She was fighting for every ball and played some amazing shots in defence. Some mistakes happened, especially when she played a bit slower, sometimes with the wind it was hard to adjust to the ball."

McNally raised her game significantly after dropping the first set, pushing the world No. 1 to a tense tiebreak in the second. But Swiatek, as she so often does, dug deep when it counted. "It was not an easy match, but I'm happy I was solid at the end and in the important moments," she said. "I kept it together, and at the end of the match, I was dictating."

The Polish star also opened up about what makes Rome such a unique challenge on the WTA tour. "The most important thing is to get used to the conditions and get used to what you cannot do on this court," she explained. "I remember many tough matches here, especially at the beginning of the tournament. You need to stay patient and fight for every point because the court is super slow, especially when it's a bit colder than usual. The court is heavy so it's hard to finish the rally."

Swiatek acknowledged that finding rhythm in Rome takes time, but she's glad to have a win under her belt despite not playing her sharpest tennis. Next up, she'll face either Emma Navarro or Elisabetta Cocciaretto in the third round. She holds a 2-1 head-to-head edge over Navarro, though it was the American who won their most recent meeting in Beijing last year. There's also some history with Cocciaretto, as the pair met at this same event just a year ago.

No matter who stands across the net, Swiatek will be looking for a cleaner performance than the one she delivered against McNally. But if there's one thing we've learned from the four-time Grand Slam champion, it's that winning ugly is still winning—and that's what champions do best.