Top tennis star Iga Swiatek has a message for online trolls

Tennis

By means of Caroline McCarthy

August 18, 2023 | 11:04 in the evening

Once again, we are reminded that the internet can be a vast wasteland for online trolls.

Poland’s Iga Swiatek, the world’s top-ranked tennis player, found herself a social media target on Thursday as she beat Zheng Qinwen 3-6, 6-1, 6-1 to advance in the quarterfinals of the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Swiatek made 10 unforced errors in the last two sets after having 20 in the first set, and that’s what the haters hate.

After his victory, Swiatek, 22, took the opportunity to take issue with followers who made negative comments on social media about his game.

“Well, today’s game wasn’t perfect,” he said in an opening statement.

“We all saw that, but the amount of hate and criticism that me and my team got after losing a set was just ridiculous. I want to encourage people to be more thoughtful when they comment on the internet.”

“I am very sad to see that the people I work with and myself, we are really being judged. I want to encourage people to be more conscious and also focus on the positive side of what we do, because now, even if I don’t start the match well, I like people to see how I solve the problem. and how I really got out of trouble.”

Ons Jabeur, the No. 5 ranked player in the WTA, quickly defended Swiatek, the reigning US Open champion, after her press conference.

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Iga Swiatek responded to the hate after his match:

“The amount of hate and criticism towards me and my team after losing a set is just ridiculous. I want to encourage people to be more thoughtful when they comment..”

Powerful statement from a great leader.

pic.twitter.com/PQHEeb5tp5

– The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) August 17, 2023

“Honestly, you win, you lose, you get hate messages no matter what you do,” said Jabeur, who said sports betting is partly to blame for the vitriol online.

“We need a lot of people, a lot of good people on this earth, but I don’t think you can change the mindset of some bettors.

“They have nothing to do with their lives and they spend money on you and maybe, what, they lost a couple of bucks on Iga missing a set,” Jabeur said.

As for Swiatek, she faced 10th-seeded Markéta Vondroušová in the quarterfinals on Friday and advanced with a 7-6 (3), 6-1 win.

With the victory, Swiatek will face the American Coco Gauff, the No. 7 seed, in the semifinals this Saturday.