Remember that US Open quarterfinal match from last season where Jessica Pegula beat former World No.1 Iga Swiatek? Well, it wasn’t just the result of the match that caught the spotlight; it was also the Pole’s on-court conduct afterwards that raised eyebrows. The then World No. 1 failed to contain herself out of sheer frustration. Why? Well, Pegula, who previously trailed 0-5 in Slam quarterfinals, managed to turn the tables and pulled off an upset, beating Swiatek in straight sets 6-2, 6-4. In a match where she committed 41 unforced errors, the Pole lost her cool as she repeatedly smashed her racket over the net. Fast forward to 2025, and we have another controversial Iga Swiatek moment to look at. This time, she lost her patience with a ball kid!
Swiatek, who was riding high on a 10-match winning streak, crashed out of the Indian Wells on Friday. She was the defending champion. And guess who beat her? 17-year-old Mirra Andreeva, the teenage sensation, has herself got onto a winning streak of 11 matches now. Andreeva, who ousted Swiatek from the Dubai Tennis Championships as well, continued her dominance against the 4-time Roland Garros champion, beating her in a three-setter 7-6(1), 1-6, 6-3. With that, Andreeva has now reached her second-straight WTA 1000 final in 2025.
The match, however, witnessed a sour moment from the five-time Slam champion Swiatek. The latter was visibly frustrated after not being able to outplay Andreeva. So much so that the Pole nearly hit a ball kid in anger. The kid was just going about his work, trying to offer her the balls, but she hit it hard on the ground in sheer anger.
Iga Swiatek slamming the ball from the ball kid, and it almost HIT both the ball kid and her team!
All the anger from Iga in sets 1 and 3, and just total unacceptable from her. #WTA #TennisParadise
@TWDTV1 pic.twitter.com/eRQ877sUqi
— Andrew Jerell Jones, Luke 1:37 (BlueSky too now) (@sluggahjells) March 15, 2025
Swiatek’s defeat also meant that she’s now lost five consecutive semifinals since her Roland Garros victory last season in June. While it’s frustrating, it can’t justify her anger towards the ball kid. Fans are certainly not happy, as they express their disappointment on social media.
Fans go all out against Iga Swiatek after she shows rage toward a ball kid
Fans are in no mood to let the incident pass by. One user took to X and wrote, “Glad she lost. Horrible sportsmanship. Andreeva bossed out in this match, a win well deserved.” Clearly, Andreeva dominated the semifinal encounter. Even when she was down in the second set, with a 1-6 scoreline, the young star remained unfazed and managed to bounce back. In the decider, she held her nerves and eventually sent Swiatek packing.
Meanwhile, some fans pointed out how an ATP star like Novak Djokovic would have received an instant penalty for such behavior. They wrote, “If Novak did that, they would suspend him right away.” That’s true as well. Remember that fourth-round 2020 US Open encounter between Spain’s Carrena Busta and the 24-time Slam champ? Djoker was serving in the 11th game, at 5-5, in the first set. His opponent, however, managed to break and take a lead with a score line of 6-5. The Serbian got frustrated and attempted to hit a stray ball in the stands.
But guess what? It ended up hitting the line judge’s throat. Djokovic quickly went towards her to check if she was okay. Later, a discussion followed between the Serbian, the chair umpire, and the tournament referee. The former World No.1 eventually received an instant disqualification from the Flushing Meadows. Another fan echoed this sentiment, saying, “She should have been disqualified.”
Moving on, one fan tried to draw parallels with Swiatek’s idol and former ATP legend Rafael Nadal. “The Polack has extreme issues with rage like her hero Nadal,” they wrote. Well, Nadal generally used to be composed on the court, but while practicing with Stan Wawrinka at Roland Garros last season, the 22-time Major winner was seen showing his anger. He swung his racket in frustration. But why? In an on-court interview, he revealed, “The roof had been closed, the court was too lit, and I couldn’t see the ball.”
“I felt like I was playing well, and suddenly, I lost my eye on the ball for three games. It wasn’t going well, and it frustrated me,” Nadal continued. However, he also admitted that his conduct was bad. “Swinging your racket means losing control and creating an example that is not positive for young people.” At least he realized his mistake, unlike Swiatek, according to an avid fan. Pointing out her unapologetic behavior, the fan wrote, “As much as I love her, this was unacceptable, and she needs to apologize. Hitting a ball towards a ball kid is not okay.” Now the question is: will she?
What are your thoughts on Iga Swiatek’s antics in the Indian Wells semifinal against Andreeva? Was her behavior justifiable? Let us know in the comments below.
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