"The outrage is getting f**king ridiculous" - Fans angered by Lindsay Davenport calling for Iga Swiatek's bathroom break habit to be 'patrolled'
Former World No. 1 Lindsay Davenport has come under fire from tennis fans for her criticism of Iga Swiatek's use of bathroom breaks during matches. Many of them expressed frustration over the World No. 1 being singled out for something many other players do.
Swiatek faced Aryna Sabalenka in a highly anticipated semifinal clash at the 2024 Cincinnati Open, with the Belarusian making a strong start to the contest by clinching the opening set 6-3. The World No. 1 took a bathroom break after losing the first set, but her efforts to regroup were in vain, as Sabalenka delivered a dominant performance to secure a 6-3, 6-3 victory.
Speaking on the Tennis Channel after the match, Lindsay Davenport criticized Iga Swiatek for her "bad habit" of taking bathroom breaks after losing a set, advocating for such practices to be "patrolled."
"It’s a bad habit that probably should start to be patrolled a little bit by the powers that be. Lose a set you leave the court…never used to be like that. But it happens every time," Davenport said.
Given that CoCo Vandeweghe recently criticized Iga Swiatek for her "tactic" of taking bathroom breaks, fans lashed out at Lindsay Davenport for also "attacking" the 23-year-old. Several of them pointed out that such breaks were well within the rules, emphasizing that there was nothing wrong with the Pole's actions.
"If attacking Iga was a sport, American pundits would get a gold medal. She's literally following the rules. Being weird about how she uses her time in between sets, and worse, trying to limit her right to use the bathroom, screams of insecurity and jealousy," one fan commented.
"She’s not doing anything against the rules tho? Like the outrage is getting f**king ridiculous," a fan argued.
"Wow they really can't stop talking about the allowed break that most players take. It's beyond ridiculous and tiring," another fan chimed in.
Several fans also voiced their frustration over the perceived selective outrage, lamenting about Davenport "nitpicking" on the World No. 1 instead of raising her issues with the rule itself.
"These kinds of comments are so disappointing from commentators. If a player isn’t breaking a rule, they shouldn’t be saying stuff like that. Advocate for a rule change, but don’t direct it at a specific player when many players do this and it’s legal," one fan posted.
"Does Davenport know this is allowed and players use it? Not only Iga," another fan wrote.
"Disappointing to see Lindsay jumping on the bandwagon of criticising Iga Swiatek for doing something many other players do that is well within the rules. Don't like it? Take it up with WTA/ATP, instead of nitpicking on a single player," a fan argued.
Iga Swiatek's "tactic" of taking bathroom breaks after losing a set called out by CoCo Vandeweghe
Iga Swiatek's frequent bathroom breaks also became a center of controversy after her hard-fought 4-6, 6-3, 7-5 win over Mirra Andreeva in the Cincinnati Open quarterfinals. After losing the opening set, the Pole regrouped by taking a lengthy toilet break before mounting her comeback.
Speaking on the Tennis Channel, CoCo Vandeweghe criticized the World No. 1's "tactic" of taking extended breaks and changing her kit after losing a set. Vandeweghe suggested that if she was facing Swiatek, she would be aware of the 23-year-old's efforts to "disrupt her rhythm."
"It's been spoken about, Iga's tactic of going to the bathroom, changing her kit, taking her time, ALWAYS after losing a set. If I was still playing, I would definitely be very aware of it... she's trying to disrupt my rhythm...," Vandeweghe said.
Following her exit from the WTA 1000 event, Iga Swiatek will be back in action at the 2024 US Open, the main draw action of which will commence on August 26. Aryna Sabalenka, meanwhile, will square off against Jessica Pegula in a blockbuster title clash in Cincinnati.