The tennis world isn’t just about thrilling matches and powerful serves—it’s also a stage for subtle digs and pointed criticisms. Even the best players are no strangers to backlash, and this time, it seems like World No. 1 Iga Swiatek is feeling the heat. Despite her undeniable talent and a stellar season, Swiatek is now under the microscope for what some are calling questionable “tactics.” And the latest to take a playful jab? None other than Daria Saville.

The Australian WTA star took to TikTok and shared a video, where she can be seen dancing holding a racquet, and flexing some tennis moves. Captioning the video, she wrote, “Pov you’re playing against someone who is never ready.” But what caught the attention of the fans was a hilarious conversation that unfolded in the comments section of the video. 

Responding to the video, a user questioned, “Is this Iga?” Saville did not shy away from taking an honest take on the comment.  Replying back to the user, the WTA star wrote, “oh wasn’t even thinking about Iga… but actually now I remember lol.” Remember, Swiatek has been often criticized for her attempts to delay the serve of her opponents, thereby breaking their momentum. 

Similar accusations came during Swiatek’s clash against Danielle Collins in the Paris Olympics. A gesture by Swiatek during the American star’s serve further raised eyebrows as the world no. 1 was holding her racquet upwards, which, many believe, was to break the momentum of Collins. Before that, it happened in 2022 when Swiatek played against Donna Vekic where she came towards the net and raised her arms before Vekic was about to hit the ball, drawing the ire of tennis fans and commentators. However, the star player has given ample justification for her gestures. 

“I can’t control it, but I hope it will never happen again. We are working on it. It is a stress reaction to what is happening. It is an involuntary reaction. I did it during the US Open, and as I recall it was a stressful moment,” the Polish star said.

Besides, she has also faced flak for extended toilet breaks and timeouts with the likes of former American pro Coco Vandeweghe accusing Swiatek of using this tactic to break the momentum of her opponents.

She lashed out at the star player after her match against Mirra Andreeva at the Cincinnati Masters this year and said, “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…”

While Swiatek facing criticism for her delaying tactics is nothing new, she has recently faced criticism for her tennis skills as well.

Iga Swiatek receives criticism for her playing style

Iga Swiatek has stayed away from the courts since the conclusion of the US Open. She also parted ways with her former coach Tomasz Wiktorowski after a successful 3-year partnership and is struggling to return to action. Amidst all these, she has also faced criticism about her playing style.

Polish tennis expert, Tomasz Wolfke engaged in an interview with Super Express and claimed that Swiatek’s playing style is very bland with no variations. “We don’t really know what happened in this team, but three years of cooperation in tennis is such a completely normal period, and during this period Iga and Tomek achieved stunning success together. However, recently there have been reservations about Iga’s playing style. I even always said in an open text that her tennis is too one-dimensional,” he said.

For now, it will be interesting to see if Swiatek can overcome these criticisms and mark a dominant return to the courts anytime soon, to prove her mettle yet again.