Rivalries between Grand Slam champions are always a treat to watch, especially on the sport’s biggest platform. One such match was played a few days back between Iga Swiatek and Emma Raducanu. However, the former was in rampant form as she blanked Raducanu in straight sets 6-1, 6-0, and inflicted a humiliating defeat. Days later, Raducanu made a move on social media which didn’t go down well with Swiatek’s fans.

One of the fans took to social media to mock Swiatek during her semifinal match against Madison Keys. In the clip shared by the fan, Swiatek was mocked by the fan for her time-wasting tactics on Keys’ serve and getting aced subsequently. The post went viral on Instagram as soon as it was shared, attracting comments and reactions from across the world. Additionally, Raducanu also liked the post which mocked Swiatek for her time-wasting tactics.

Meanwhile, a Eurosport commentator also called out Swiatek for her tactics during the match against Keys, saying, “Time has been called but Iga is not ready yet. Right, come on, let’s go. Quite some look from Keys. She’s not happy.” Further, Novak Djokovic’s biggest fan, Pavvy G also took to Twitter and wrote, “This is what Swiatek was doing after the umpire had called time and Keys was ready to serve. Madison understandably was not impressed.”

Despite this backlash, Swiatek’s fans weren’t happy after Raducanu liked the post which made a mockery of Swiatek and her tactics. As a result, they issued some strong comments against Raducanu.

Fans slam Emma Raducanu for her move against Iga Swiatek

The British star emerged on the tennis scene after her surprising run at the 2021 US Open, where she won the title as a qualifier. Owing to her achievements, she won over many fans and slowly became a favorite. However, things haven’t quite gone according to her plans over the past few months. As a result, the matter was made worse after she disrespected Swiatek, and one of the Pole’s fans called out Raducanu, saying, “Oh no she didn’t. Raducanu you’re on my hater list now.”

Meanwhile, Raducanu has a poor record against Swiatek. In the four matches played between them, the Pole has won all of them. Additionally, Swiatek hasn’t even lost a set against Raducanu. Owing to her domination, one of the fans thought that Raducanu’s reaction was because of her poor record against Swiatek. The comment read, “She hates Iga or every player who won her because they are better.” 

Further, a fan took to Twitter to elaborate on the situation and remembered Raducanu using fake tactics to break the opponent’s rhythm. At the same tournament, Raducanu complained of a hip injury during her match against Amanda Anisimova and received a match timeout. However, Raducanu looked good subsequently and won the match in straight sets.

The fan said, “Emma Raducanu liking an Instagram reel mocking Iga Swiatek for her delaying Madison Keys’ serve and then getting aced. The same Emma Raducanu who called a MTO for a fake hip injury when she was 3-0 down against Anisimova. The Raducanu nice mask slips. again.”

On the other hand, one of the fans remembered how Swiatek’s tactics have become a common feature in her matches and that many players have acted similarly to Raducanu. The fan wrote, “Numerous players have liked similar clips of same incident inc ones titled lack of sportsmanship by Iga.” Lastly, as the fan pointed out Raducanu liking a post that mocked Swiatek, another fan questioned the Brit’s action and said, “Must have blocked you lol.”

While Swiatek’s tactics may be debatable, she is receiving widespread criticism from the tennis community. Do you think Swiatek was right in her approach to slow down the proceedings? Let us know your views in the comments below.