Swiatek confronts a cheeky reporter: "Honestly, I don't understand your question."

© AFP

Elio Valotto

le 12/05/2024 à 11h56

2 min to read

Madrid Pera Putintseva Rome Rybakina Sabalenka Stuttgart Swiatek

Iga Swiatek dominates the WTA circuit with a master's hand. Already very impressive during the hard-court season, during which she won two titles, the arrival of the ochre has made her even more frightening. Despite losing to Rybakina in Stuttgart, the world No.1 recited her tennis to win the title in Madrid after a masterful final. Following a perfect performance in Rome, the Pole is now back on track. After crushing Bernarda Pera, ranked 77th in the world, (6-0, 6-2), she defeated Putintseva in two stages (6-3, 6-4).

Having qualified for the last 16 without really having to exert herself, the three-time French Open winner was questioned about the "lack of attention" she was receiving. Indeed, given the presence of Djokovic and Nadal, some experts believe that the spotlight is not on Iga. Somewhat annoyed, the Pole confronted her interlocutor with her own contradictions. Making him repeat his question twice ("Why aren't people paying attention to you?"), Swiatek finally retorted, in an icy tone: "Why what? [...] I think there's a bit of attention on me, but I totally understand why Rafa and Novak have so many fans. It's not like I'm jealous or anything. This is Rafa's last tournament, not the last, but maybe the last tournament in Rome. I understand why people focus on him. And Novak, of course, is the G.O.A.T. too. Honestly, I don't understand that question."

Without getting melodramatic, this kind of sequence can be embarrassing. Indeed, given the current level of women's tennis, driven by a new "big three" (Swiatek, Sabalenka, Rybakina), we should perhaps stop implying that women's tennis isn't as good as men's tennis. One question might be asked: how would Novak Djokovic, world number 1 in the men's game, have reacted if a journalist had suggested that the spotlight was not on him?