With the big North American hard court season knocking on the door, all the players are back to the grind. The training sessions are in full flow as they adapt back to the surface slower than grass. While some are playing lead-ups to prepare for the upcoming Rogers Cup, others are practicing and training with their team. The current World No.1 Iga Swiatek has gone with the latter. However, as photos cropped up, fans noticed that there was something peculiar about her practice session.
Swiatek’s practice clips were released recently, and the fans could not help but be bothered by something unrelated to her tennis. In turn, they left us with a mixed bag of reactions. But what was so odd about the training clip?
Twitter reacts to a new accessory that Iga Swiatek donned in a training session
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During her practice session in Montreal, Iga Swiatek wore tape over her mouth, potentially to aid in nose breathing. However, not everyone was aware of the purpose of the tape, which added to the element of intrigue. It’s not often that we see tennis players make use of such unconventional means. Naturally, the reactions were not quite unexpected.
World no. 1 Iga #Swiatek is in the house in Montreal for the Omnium Banque Nationale #OBNMontreal and she is training with a piece of tape on her mouth pic.twitter.com/wTZrB8VAFY
— Vanni Gibertini (@vgibertini) August 4, 2023
Swiatek’s tape certainly confused some fans, especially those who weren’t aware of the nose training equipment.
What? https://t.co/30i63zfDpe
— Roksanche (@Roksanche) August 4, 2023
A fan expressed their shock with the use of the “😮” emoticon.
— Pat 💜💚 (@patdiguangco) August 4, 2023
“I am very intrigued/confused by this, ” said a clueless fan while hoping for someone to explain things to him.
I am very intrigued/confused by this. https://t.co/DDXhQxgnxJ
— Adam_Addicott (@AdamAddicott) August 4, 2023
Another Twitter user suggested that many coaches might opt for this novel training method.
A lot of coaches are going to be very interested in this new training method. 🙂 https://t.co/B5Qy0Kfs0o
— Kamakshi Tandon (@Kamakshi_Tandon) August 4, 2023
One user took his humor to another level by taking this as an opportunity to poke fun at his extended family.
how i need to train for every meeting with my extended family https://t.co/kCg8sAMx4S
— box | 🎾 uso swing 🗽 (@bebebebeberry) August 4, 2023
Another user mocked Jimmy Arias, the Tennis Channel commentator who had recently spoken against the Pole for her cap.
Jimmy Arias thinks not being able to see her mouth is bad for tennis 🙃 https://t.co/DFW0QQAmRA
— Bob (@In_Ludo_Veritas) August 4, 2023
Eventually, one fan cleared everyone’s doubts by explaining the purpose of the tape. They also hailed Swiatek for opting for this method, which apparently is rewarding for the muscles and oxygen.
training for nose-breathing. It’s a more efficient and effective method of oxygen delivery to the body’s muscles. whoever has her training this way is smart tbh. they’re aiming for maximum endurance, and knowing iga, she’ll get there https://t.co/Qcq4aaC0dy
— ons4ever (@downthreebreaks) August 4, 2023
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Well, those indeed made for quite the mixed bag of reactions. We have often seen tapes covering the wrists and ankles or other injury spots. But a tape on the mouth might be a fresh experience for many fans as it is far from a common training method.
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What was your first reaction to Iga Swiatek practicing with tape on her mouth? Were you curious, worried, or amused? Do let us know in the comments.
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