Iga Swiatek finds herself at the center of controversy once again! The former World No. 1 faced the wrath of the Indian Wells crowd on Saturday after firing a ball back at a ball kid. Just moments after that controversial act that drew loud boos from the stands, her hopes of clinching a historic third Indian Wells title were shattered by 17-year-old Russian Mirra Andreeva in a gripping SF clash. However, what truly ignited a storm online was the double standard fans pointed out, arguing that if American GOAT Serena Williams had done the same, the outrage would have been far greater. Fans took to social media, calling out the hypocrisy and questioning how different players are treated differently.

Iga Swiatek fought hard against Andreeva until the decisive third set. After narrowly losing the first set in a tiebreaker, she roared back with a dominant 6-1 second set. But as the match slipped from her grasp in the third, frustration took hold! 

Agitated, the Pole complained to the chair umpire about supposed movement from balls kid behind her during Andreeva’s serve. Moments later, her frustration boiled over when a ball kid tossed her a ball, she spun around the racket and angrily smacked the ball straight at him. The quick-thinking ball kid raised his arms just in time, deflecting the ball before it shot into the crowd.

The stunned Indian Wells crowd erupted in boos. Already favoring the Russian ace, the spectators turned against Swiatek even more after the shocking act. With a history of controversial on-court behavior, the Pole’s latest outburst only fueled her growing list of critics even further.

Adding to the storm, fans took to social media, outraged by the apparent double standards in tennis in recent times. Many pointed out if the American legend Serena Williams had done the same during her time, the backlash would have been far more severe. Clips of the incident have since gone viral across the social media, with fans calling out the WTA’s inconsistency and questioning why Iga Swiatek, who suffered a doping controversy lately, continues to escape harsher consequences.

“Would have banned her” — fans outburst in frustration while comparing Iga’s antics with that of Serena Williams

One of the New York journalists reignited the controversy on X by sharing the viral clip of Iga Swiatek smashing the ball toward a ball kid, stating, “If Serena did this, it would’ve created an inescapable international debate that lasted for weeks.” Another netizen chimed in, saying, “Weeks? Her career would be over, and she’d have been banned for life.”

Serena Williams‘ tumultuous 2018 US Open final against Japanese top seed Naomi Osaka is still fresh in the minds of the fans. She was penalized for verbal abuse and racket smashing. She was docked a game and fined $17,000. The American later decried the decision as sexist, arguing, “He’s never taken a game from a man for saying ‘thief.’” Now, as the Pole escapes significant repercussions, fans are calling out the hypocrisy, with another fan adding, “They would have banned her. 100%,”

Another fan took the debate further, commenting, “*years. they would’ve celebrated its anniversary.” Shortly after the heated final against the Japanese, an Australian newspaper published a “grotesque editorial cartoon” portraying Williams in a demeaning and exaggerated manner. The image, drawn by the Herald Sun cartoonist Mark Knight, depicted Serena as an enraged, hulking figure, smashing her racket with a pacifier nearby, infantilizing her frustration in the court. In a deeply patronizing touch, the umpire was shown asking Osaka, “Can you just let her win?”

The offensive caricature faced widespread condemnation as racist, highlighting the double standards that fans are now once again addressing following the Pole’s controversy. With the comments coming from fans, what do you think about the whole incident? Share your thoughts down below!