French Open: Iga Swiatek’s Controversial Remark on Local Crowd Prompts Ex-Pro to Take a Subtle Dig at Her Maiden Glory

What is a sport without fans? Perhaps nothing for many, and perhaps peace for Iga Swiatek. The Polish tennis sensation recently ignited a firestorm of controversy by appealing to fans to make less noise between points. The World No. 1’s plea, intended to bring more focus to the game, sparked backlash from across the tennis community instead. In a recent statement, former player and American commentator Mary Carillo subtly critiqued Swiatek, reminiscing about her first triumph at Roland Garros.

During the second-round match at French Open against Naomi Osaka, Iga Swiatek faced a moment of frustration due to crowd noise at a crucial point in the match. The four-time Grand Slam winner missed a shot when a member of the crowd screamed just as she was preparing to hit a drive volley. Despite ultimately winning the intense match, Swiatek addressed the incident in her post-match interview, making a controversial appeal to the fans.

“I’m sorry to even bring this [up],” Swiatek said, recognizing the fans’ importance to the sport. “I have huge respect for you guys [the fans]..But sometimes under a lot of pressure, when you scream something during the rally or right before the return, it’s really hard to be focused,” the Polish star explained after surviving a close scare with a score of 7-6 (1), 1-6, 7-5.

However, this statement did not sit well with several people in the tennis community, including the likes of American sensation Coco Gauff and former World No. 1 tennis player Jimmy Connors. In the latest critique, former ESPN analyst Mary Carillo joined the fray, taking a subtle dig at the World Number 1 by recalling Swiatek’s first win at Roland Garros in 2020.

Carillo suggested that Swiatek’s preference for quiet might stem from her initial victory, which occurred in front of a scanty crowd due to COVID-19 restrictions. During a latest episode of The Tennis Podcast, Carillo said, “Roland Garros, I think it was her first tournament win, right? When she won here in 2020, the COVID year. And by the way, the way she’s asking people to be quiet, I think maybe the reason she won her first French was that no one was there.” Only 1000 spectators were allowed in the stadium to watch matches in the wake of the pandemic and social distancing norms in 2020.

This statement has once again placed Swiatek in the spotlight, with several top players taking jabs at her for her appeal to the fans. However, despite not siding with her request for quiet, Carillo openly supported Swiatek as the favorite in the upcoming final against Jasmine Paolini.

Swiatek seeks tactical edge despite Carillo’s belief in her dominance

Iga Swiatek has remained a clear favorite among many in the tennis community. Currently on an 18 match unbeaten run, the Polish superstar has not lost a single match at the venue in three years, and is gearing to take over Jasmine Paolini in Roland Garros finals this year. While Mary praised Jasmine Paolini’s performance so far in the French Open, she acknowledged the challenge ahead for the Italian player.

Swiatek and Paolini have faced each other twice before, with Swiatek winning both matches. Admitting that Iga has more chances in the finals, she said, “I’m hoping that she could live with Swiatek. If she gives us one tight set, I’d be very happy,” Carillo said on the same podcast. Since her last victory came in the 2022 US Open, and now that that she is meeting Jasmine almost after two years, Swiatek admitted to prepare “tactically” against the current No. 15.

“We played a long time ago, so I need to prepare tactically and see where her game is at now,” Świątek told reporters when asked about the prospect of playing Paolini in the final. “She has had her best season, so she must have changed something. But we will see, because honestly I haven’t watched her matches. I’ll just focus on myself and prepare tactically.”

As the French Open draws to a close, it will be interesting to see if Paolini can defy the odds and win her first Grand Slam title. Swiatek, on the other hand, will be aiming to clinch her third consecutive trophy at Roland Garros.