‘Just Ridiculous’- World No. 1 Iga Swiatek Lashes Out at Critics as ‘Hate’ Pushes the Prolific Pole’s Patience to Its Limits

One of the disadvantages of being a pro player is that sometimes with the amount of love that fans shower, hate can accompany it. While it can be a bit easy for players to ignore the hatred, sometimes, it can take a great toll on them. This eventually impacts their mental level and affects their gameplay. Recently, Polish sensation Iga Swiatek faced the same thing. Currently playing in the Cincinnati Masters, the world number one player, in a recent press conference talked about the hate that she got after the match got over.

She also took a moment to reflect on her game against her Chinese opponent Qinwen Zheng and analyze how it went.

Iga Swiatek reflects on getting hate from the fans

After her recent triumph against Qinwen Zheng, Iga Swiatek took a moment to reflect on her victory and the challenges she and her team faced. In response to the backlash she receives from fans, Swiatek expressed her frustration. She called for more considerate online commenting, urging people to focus on the positive aspects of their hard work and dedication.

“Today’s match wasn’t perfect, and we all saw that, but the amount of hate and criticism that me and my team get after even losing a set is just ridiculous,” she said. “I would encourage people to be more thoughtful when they comment on the Internet.”

Addressing the press directly, Swiatek appealed for support, emphasizing the effort and sacrifices they make daily. Despite not starting the match strongly, she highlighted her ability to problem-solve and recover. She also urged the fans to not throw such hate as they work really hard every day to win matches. However, seeing these hate comments would certainly demotivate them.

“It would be great if you guys,” she adds, speaking directly to members of the press, “would kind of help us to make it happen as journalists. We all sacrifice a lot and we all are working really hard to be in that place. We are always giving 100% of what we can do every day,” said Swiatek.

Thus, these words by Swiatek shed light on the hatred that the players get throughout their time as a player. While things can go unexpected on the courts, it is the fans who can motivate them and inspire them to get back up and fight. However, the reason why Iga got so much hate was even absurd.

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Why did fans send hateful messages to Swiatek?

Iga Swiatek did not have the best start to the game. The Polish player did not play her best game resulting in her opponent taking advantage. Qinwen won the first set easily, defeating her 6-3. As she lost the set, her fans started to rain hateful comments. This certainly had a bad impact on Iga.

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However, amidst the hatred, she managed to win the match as she regained her form in the second and third sets. Thus, the amount of effort that players put in is immense. Hence, as fans, people should try and respect their boundaries and encourage them if they struggle.