Something has been bothering Iga Swiatek. The tennis player opened up about the bias she faced from the media when it came to reporting her performance on the court. “Women are judged more harshly,” she said. She compared the reporting for a female player in contrast to that given to a male player.

In a new interview with the Polish outlet ‘Sportowe Fakty’ and, as reported by ‘Tennis 365’, Swiatek said, “Women are judged more harshly as if we had no control over our emotions at all. During the ATP Finals, we saw men also react differently on the court, sometimes they are aggressive, and they cry. However, in men’s tennis it is accepted and interpreted as a passion that leads to success.”

“Meanwhile, I read again this season that I lost control over my emotions. That “Swiatek is over”, that “her career is over”. I cannot understand such opinions. Some people are very guided by gender stereotypes.”

Is the 22-year-old wrong in saying so? She has broken down into tears in the past. One such incident took place at the 2021 WTA Finals in Guadalajara. While Maria Sakkari was ready to serve, Iga Swiatek was in tears from all the stress. She had her back turned to the court. She even felt “ashamed” after her emotions prevented her from performing her best. This is an incident the player still gets questioned about.

However, when Swiatek showed emotions on the court, she was painted as being weak. Not passionate.

This is not where the player’s stand ends. She has had to face sexist questions during conferences. Back in 2022, she was quizzed about makeup right after winning her second French Open title.

Iga Swiatek’s response to ‘makeup’ question after incredible achievement

“Ok. Thank you,” was the response Swiatek gave when a journalist asked if she used makeup when attending parties. Many people were shocked by the question. However, the sexism issue doesn’t end here.

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During a previous interview, the player talked about the hate she received when she lost at the Cincinnati Open against Qinwen Zheng in one of the sets. She mentioned that the hate she received for just losing one set was ridiculous. The 22-year-old also said that she used to put a lot of energy into reading those comments but now ignores them.

Further, she also stated she would like to pay more attention to the positive messages out there for the betterment of the game and herself.

Do you agree with Iga Swiatek’s perspective?

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