Iga Swiatek’s run at the Cincinnati Masters ended in the semifinal following her defeat in straight sets against Aryna Sabalenka. Her grueling two-hour, 39-minute contest against Mirra Andreeva in the quarterfinal seemingly left her gassed and affected her performance in the semifinal. However, her actions during that marathon battle left Coco Vandeweghe irked.
The retired star called out the world number 1 on Tennis Channel for indulging in gamesmanship during her hard-fought win over Andreeva. She accused Swiatek of intentionally taking unnecessary breaks when her opponent had momentum. She said,
“It’s been spoken about, Iga’s tactic of going to the bathroom, changing her kit, taking her time, ALWAYS after losing a set… If I was still playing, I would definitely be very aware of it… she’s trying to disrupt my rhythm.”
“It’s been spoken about, Iga’s tactic of going to the bathroom, changing her kit, taking her time, ALWAYS after losing a set.
“If I was still playing, I would definitely be very aware of it… she’s trying to disrupt my rhythm…”
(Coco Vandeweghe on Tennis Channel)— C Kristjánsdóttir ● (@CristinaNcl) August 17, 2024
As Vandeweghe noted, this wasn’t the first instance of the Olympic bronze medalist being accused of using underhanded tactics. During her match at Wimbledon against Yulia Putintseva, Iga took extended breaks which irked her opponent. She weighed in on it during her post-match interview, saying,
“I was a bit, like, not annoyed, but she took a lot of time off the court. I don’t know what the rules are. She just went, like, to the toilet break. I don’t know what happened or how many minutes she was taking, honestly at some point I was so bored.”
Swiatek could argue it was well within her right to take a bathroom break and there’s nothing unsportsmanlike about it. However, this isn’t the only deceptive move she’s been accused of using to throw off her opponents.
Not Iga Swiatek’s First Rodeo With Sportsmanship Criticism
The 23-year-old has also been called out for pulling off another controversial move. She’s been accused of stopping right before serving by holding her racquet out, making her opponents freeze.
This little trick annoyed fans, analysts, and former players alike. And it’s a big reason why, despite being No. 1 in the world, she’s not exactly the most-liked player on tour.
Swiatek is an exceptional player and worthy of being the top-ranked player in the world. However, the Polish superstar’s gamesmanship, which often borders on unsportsmanlike conduct, has hurt her reputation.
