Iga Swiatek once again became a talking point after the French Open final, even though she didn’t feature on Sunday. Aryna Sabalenka said that if the Pole had reached the final instead of her, she likely would have defeated Coco Gauff and taken the title.
Sabalenka eliminated Swiatek in the semifinals but couldn’t cross the final hurdle against Coco Gauff. The American outclassed her in a gripping three-set bout, 6-7(5), 6-2, 6-4.
The Belarusian didn’t mince her words following her loss and found it tough to accept the result. She felt she put up a poor display against the second seed on Saturday.
Here’s what Sabalenka said about her performance and how she involved Swiatek in the conversation:
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"I definitely played at a better level than I did in the final. Honestly, it was the worst tennis I've played in the last I don't know how many months. The conditions were terrible, and she was simply better in those conditions than I was. I think it was the worst final I've played in my career," Aryna Sabalenka said
"That hurts. Especially when you've been playing really good tennis all week. If Iga had beaten me the other day, I think she would have gone out today and gotten the win. It just hurts. I've been playing really well, and then in the last match, to go out there and do what I did, it hurts," she concluded.
Sabalenka's controversial remarks drew comments from tennis fans all over the globe. While many came to the aid of Gauff, Swiatek's loyals felt the Pole was being unnecessarily dragged into the frame.
Let's look at the five most hilarious reactions from fans about Iga Swiatek's inclusion in the debate.
5) One fan spoke about Iga getting the limelight despite losing the semifinals:
"YOU KNOW YOU THAT BITCH WHEN YOU CAUSE ALL THIS CONVERSATION. My girl Iga is at home playing with legos and yet she is the center of attention in PARIS. The protagonist. Can't help."
4) Another user shared a sarcastic reaction meme about Swiatek:
"Iga somewhere in Warsaw rn,"
3) One fan blamed Sabalenka was dragging Swiatek into the loop after her loss:
"See now iga is catching strays because of sabalenka’s messiness."
2) Another fan questioned why Swiatek was a part of this conversation.
"Now why’s Iga in it."
1) One user insisted that women's tennis was obsessed with Iga Swiatek:
"At the end of the day it's still about her."
Swiatek lost a match at the French Open for the first time since 2021. Despite her semifinal loss in Paris, she has a 93% win ratio at the event.
Iga Swiatek exits the top 5 of the WTA Rankings after rivals Coco Gauff and Aryna Sabalenka reach the French Open final
Iga Swiatek was the defending champion at the French Open this year. She won the event three years in a row in 2022, 2023 and 2024.
After a slow start to the season, the Pole is out of the top five in the WTA Rankings. She has yet to win a title this year.
Swiatek has chalked up 32 wins from 42 matches this year, including semifinal runs in Melbourne, Doha, Indian Wells, Madrid and Paris. She also reached the quarterfinals in Stuttgart, but lost to Jelena Ostapenko in straight sets.
The 24-year-old has dropped below her near rivals Coco Gauff, Jessica Pegula, Zheng Qinwen and Jasmine Paolini. She will be hoping to fine-tune her game on grass and make a valuable contribution on tour.
