With a French Open title, Iga Swiatek has risen to the occasion, proving she’s worth her weight in gold. But apart from her achievements, it’s her rivalry with Aryna Sabalenka that takes center stage now and then. When the world No. 2 defended her Australian Open crown, it was the Pole who took a step forward and congratulated her, but now that the tables have turned, fans are unhappy with the way Sabalenka’s congratulations didn’t come in time.

After her impressive Australian Open victory, Iga Swiatek graciously congratulated her rival, Aryna Sabalenka, acknowledging her formidable performance throughout the tournament. This sportsmanship demonstrated Swiatek’s character, especially in light of the unexpected turn of events where Sabalenka did not return the gesture.

The five-time Grand Slam champion displayed good sportsmanship when Sabalenka won her second Australian Open championship earlier this year, commenting on X with the message, “Congrats @SabalenkaA on 2nd title in Australia, impressive!”

With brevity yet courtesy, Sabalenka said, “Thank you, Iga.” Most notably, the 26-year-old reached the finals in Madrid and Rome in May, only to be denied by Swiatek. After that, the Australian Open champion was ready to take revenge at the French Open, but her journey ended in the semi-finals.

However, the tennis world felt there was a lack of acknowledgment from Sabalenka which gave the long-running rivalry between the two best players an unanticipated turn. Many tennis fans took to social media to express their opinions, criticizing Aryna Sabalenka as “envious” for failing to congratulate her on winning the French Open despite Swiatek’s kind words in the past.

Tennis fans are not happy with Aryna Sabalenka’s absence after Swiatek’s victory; they are ‘too envious for such a gesture’

A fan shared the world’s number one old tweet from January and mentioned how it’s ‘just sad’ that Swiatek didn’t get her part of the congratulations. After reading this, fans flooded the comment section regarding how they were unhappy with World Number Two’s absence from the congratulatory list.

A fan blasted the 26-year-old tennis player and called her out for not being her behavior, while at the same time, she was busy enjoying a vacation in Greece. “Sabalenka is too envious for such a gesture, in my opinion.”

On the other hand, a fan highlighted how the five-time Grand Slam champion is too good for the world in general. “I just wish Iga stopped doing this.” Iga Swiatek has an outstanding 5-1 record on clay in major tournaments, and she has an 8-3 head-to-head record against her top opponents. 

However, a fan noticed that she might have missed out on the final that was played between Swiatek and Jasmine Paolini: “I believe she didn’t even watch the match; she’s so jealous of her.” Not only does her dominance on clay emphasize how good she is on this surface and confirms her status as one of the strongest players in the world of tennis, but also her personality off the court when it comes to supporting her rivals.

Subsequently, a Swiatek fan proudly mentioned how “not everyone does such things in public.” In the last, another ane praised the world number one for her sportsmanship spirit: “Iga’s always classy.”

Nevertheless, what are your thoughts on Sabalenka’s silence over the victory? Do let us know in the comment section below.