“I don’t know if that was a good decision or not” – Swiatek on reprimanding Roland-Garros crowd

Iga Swiatek took on the ultimate challenge this Wednesday evening – and no, it wasn’t defeating four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka. It was lecturing a stadium full of French fans on their behaviour.

The world No 1, who saved match points to defeat Osaka in the second round, took exception to fans calling out during rallies. At several stages across the match, there were loud sounds from the crowd while Swiatek was in the process of striking the ball.

In her post-match interview, Swiatek boldly raised the issue.

“I wanna say one thing, I’m sorry to even bring that,” she began. “I have huge respect for you guys, and I know that we are playing basically for you because this is entertainment, and we are also earning money because of you.

“But sometimes, you know, when you’re under a lot of pressure and you scream something during the rally or right before the return, it’s really, really hard to be focused.”

It was a brave move, considering how lively crowds can be at Roland-Garros. But the Pole did an excellent job of communicating, and received a warm round of applause part way through her address.

“I usually don’t bring this up because I want to be this kind of player that is really in the zone and really focused,” Swiatek continued after the applause. “But this is serious for us, we’re fighting our whole lives to be better and better and sometimes it’s hard to accept that. The stakes are big, and there’s a lot of money here to win. Losing a few points may change a lot. 

“Please guys, if you can support us between the rallies but not during, that would be really, really amazing.”

Swiatek explains her on-court comments

Speaking to the media after the match, Swiatek expanded on her on-court comments.

“I got the most frustrated when I missed that drop volley. Somebody shouted when the ball was flying to me,” she explained.

“I knew that I should be more focused and not let this distract me, but sometimes it’s hard, because in tennis we’re used to the stadium being silent during the point. 

“It happened more times, especially before the returns, and that’s why I wanted to speak out about it, because if it would happen one time, I would just let it go. 

“I know the French crowd is enthusiastic. Yeah, but for now in tennis we have these kind of rules that there should be, like, more silence in the audience, and I just wanted to point out that it’s not easy for us.”

The 22-year-old acknowledged that speaking up about the topic was a risk, and hopes that fans will understand her perspective.

“I know that French crowds can be kind of harsh, so I don’t want to be under the radar right now. So, yeah, I don’t know if that was a good decision or not, but I hope they can treat me as a human and just we can kind of work on it.”

Osaka unbothered by crowd at Roland-Garros

Osaka was also asked her thoughts on the crowd after the match.

The Japanese player, who just produced some of her best tennis in years, only had positive things to say about their energy on Wednesday night.

“I thought the crowd was really cool,” Osaka declared. “For me, I feel like those are the moments I live for.”

“Also, it just makes me feel like the crowd is having fun, and I think at the end of the day that’s what I want the most. I want people to be, like, no matter if I won or lost they said, ‘Oh, I watched the match and I had a great time.’”

“For me, I didn’t have a problem with the crowd at all. But I’m also used to the New York crowd.”

Time will tell how Swiatek’s comments were received by the Parisian crowd, with the Pole getting the day off on Thursday before facing either Jana Fett or Marie Bouzkova for a spot in the round of 16.

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