Tennis and feuds—a combo as iconic as strawberries and cream! Over the years, fans have seen tempers flare, rivalries ignite, and unexpected drama unfold on the courts. And guess what? The Australian Open is serving up its share of spice this time around. Capturing all the buzz is none other than Iga Swiatek, but hold on—it’s not her skills or prep that’s making headlines. So, what’s the deal? Well, the chatter isn’t about her game but the court she’s been assigned for her opening match.

The Polish tennis sensation is all set to play her first match of the Australian Open campaign on Monday. She will face doubles expert Katerina Siniakova, and the duo will look forward to advancing ahead in the tournament. Interestingly, the match will be played at the John Cain Arena instead of the prestigious Rod Laver Arena. This has sparked huge furor from the fans, with the organizers being subjected to some serious backlashing. 

The official X handle of the Australian Open shared the order of play for Monday and the court on which all these matches will be played. Notably, despite being ranked above Coco Gauff, Swiatek has not been given her first match at the Rod Laver Arena, as against her American counterpart, who will face Sofia Kenin at the venue. As soon as the post gained traction, it drew some wild reactions from tennis enthusiasts. 

Several fans took to their social media to lash out at the organizers alleging them of biased treatment. They also highlighted that Swiatek is well-qualified over several other players who have been given a show court at the Rod Laver Arena or the Margaret Court Arena and accused the organizers of being disrespectful against the Pole. 

Alleged preference for Coco Gauff over Iga Swiatek infuriates fans

Taking to X, one user wrote, “Iga, a 5x Grand Slam champion and second seed on the 3rd tier court?  Are Collins & Kerri’s running schedules and court allocations for AO?” And the move is definitely a little surprising. Swiatek has clinched the French Open 4 times, 3 of which came in succession. Besides, she also bagged the US Open title in 2022. This is not just all. The star player has remained in the No. 1 spot for a total of 125 weeks and has also secured the bronze medal at the Paris Olympics last year. Hence, for a player of her stature, fans were expecting the organizers to allot the Rod Laver Arena, which eventually did not happen. And hence, more such reactions continued to follow. 

Responding to the post, another user commented, “The disrespect is insane,  5 GS playing on the 3rd court? Who’s Collins and Coco to make them playing in big courts than her? Have some shame!” Notably, Gauff and Swiatek have exchanged a remarkable rivalry in the past. While the American sensation has won their last two encounters came at the WTA Finals in Riyadh last year, and then at the United Cup Final this year, Swiatek has widely dominated the head-to-head tally that currently stands at 11-3 in favor of the Pole. Similar reactions continued to follow from other users as well.

“Having Iga 5 time GS champion, world number 2 and doubles goat Katka on that court? The disrespect,” While Swiatek has already proved her mettle over the years, Katerina Siniakova depicted an A-game over the years. She has 9 Grand Slams in the doubles category under her belt, with two of them coming in 2024 alone. And for two immensely successful players, not giving them a show court like Rod Laver has not sat well with the fans. 

However, one user highlighted that the court where Swiatek is playing can accommodate more audience. “idk why y’all surprised that iga is on here 😭 JCA is a big court, probably even bigger than MCA,” the user wrote. Indeed! The John Cain Arena, where the match will be played, can fit 10,300 people. The second most capacity after the Rod Laver Arena, which can accommodate 14,820 people. Margaret Court Arena, on the other hand, facilitates a capacity of only 7,500. But these facts have not diverted the fans much. 

Yet another user expressed similar sentiments and wrote, “[2] seed on 3rd court wtf xD.” Now, as the issue continues to take center stage, it will be interesting to see if Iga Swiatek or the organizers will come forward to issue a clarification over the entire matter. But one thing is clear: fans will get to witness intense showdowns irrespective of the courts.