"Hope they don't treat me badly" - Iga Swiatek worried about repercussions after cautioning French Open crowd against disruptive 'screams' in 2R win
Iga Swiatek has raised concerns about facing consequences after chastising the French Open crowd for their disruptive conduct. The Pole's remarks came after her narrow escape against Naomi Osaka in a riveting second-round clash.
Swiatek and Osaka engaged in a thrilling battle at the claycourt major, with both players claiming a set each to force a decider. In a surprising turn of events, the two-time defending champion found herself on the brink of defeat before she fended off a match point at 5-3 down to claim a 7-6 (1), 1-6, 7-5 victory in two hours and 57 minutes.
As the compelling contest drew passionate reactions from the audience, the World No. 1 expressed her displeasure with the crowd's conduct.
During her on-court interview, Iga Swiatek implored the spectators to refrain from "screaming" during rallies, as it has a detrimental effect on players' concentration.
The 22-year-old also emphasized that there's prize money and ranking points at stake, which can be negatively impacted by such disruptions.
"I have huge respect for you guys and I know we are playing for you, but sometimes under a lot of pressure when you scream something during the rally, it’s really hard to be focused. I usually don’t bring this up because I want to be a player that’s in the zone and focused. But this is serious for us," Iga Swiatek said.
"We’re fighting our whole lives to be better and better. Sometimes it’s hard to accept that. The stakes are big. There’s a lot of money to win. Losing a few points may change a lot," she added.
The four-time Grand Slam champion elaborated on her frustrations in her post-match press conference, asserting that her remarks aren't motivated by an isolated incident but rather by repeated disruptions during crucial moments of the match.
"It's very frustrating to see you miss an important ball because someone in the stands screams right before you hit it," she said (via Punto de Break).
"I know I have to stay focused and not get frustrated, but it doesn't make sense for people to be making sounds while we're in the middle of the rally. If it had happened once I wouldn't have said anything, but it happened on several occasions," she added.
The Pole reiterated that it's important for fans to understand the stakes for the players. However, she conceded that airing her grievances on the court may not have been the best decision, expressing hope that she won't have to face a hostile crowd in future matches as repercussions for her comments.
"I know that they are an enthusiastic audience, but I wanted to make it clear that it is not easy for the tennis players to manage those shouts when we have so much at stake," Iga Swiatek said.
"I just hope they understand that the rule is not to make noise in the middle of a point. Maybe I didn't take a good decision to say that on the court, but I hope they understand it and don't treat me badly," she added.
Naomi Osaka contradicts Iga Swiatek's complaints about French Open crowd: "I didn’t have a problem with the crowd at all"
Naomi Osaka shared a contrasting opinion when asked for her thoughts on Iga Swiatek's critical comments about the crowd's conduct after their clash at the 2024 French Open.
Having become accustomed to the typically rowdy US Open crowd, the Japanese emphasized that she didn't have any issues with the audience's behavior.
"I thought the crowd was really cool. These are the moments for what I work for. I didn’t have a problem with the crowd at all. But I’m used to the New York crowd," she said in her post-match press conference.
Following her win over Osaka, Iga Swiatek will continue her title defense against Marie Bouzkova or Jana Fett in the third round.