“She cannot complain” – Badosa disagrees with Swiatek’s assessment of Roland-Garros crowd

Swiatek criticised the crowd following her match against Osaka in what has been a contentious topic at this year’s Roland-Garros, but not all players agree

Paula Badosa – Chryslene Caillaud / Panoramic

Jamie Malachy

June 1, 2024

In the immediate aftermath of one of her toughest matches of the year, Iga Swiatek – rather surprisingly – picked another high-profile battle against a far less tangible opponent – the Roland-Garros crowd.

Having just barely come through a near-three hour epic against Naomi Osaka, the Pole turned her attention to what she perceived as distracting and disrespectful noise coming from the spectators inside Philippe-Chatrier throughout the pair’s second-round encounter.

It seemed an odd time to call out the misdemeanours of the crowd, when equal disgruntlement could have been given to how sparsely populated the French Open’s central show court had been throughout one of the best matches of the tournament.

Judging by much of the reaction across other parts of the press and social media, this was the issue that warranted most attention.

Conversely for the world No 1, however, it was the unwelcome intrusions of certain members inside the half-empty stadium that were most irksome.

“Sometimes under a lot of pressure, when you scream something during the rally, it is very distracting and hard to focus,” Swiatek told the Parisian fans.

“This is serious for us and sometimes it is hard to accept. The stakes are big and we are playing for a lot of money.

“If you could support us before the rallies but not during. I love you guys and I always love playing here so let’s continue that.”

Iga Swiatek rebukes Roland-Garros crowd for interruptions during rallies

Other players have been less condemning in their opinion of the French Open crowds, however.

Osaka said she had no problems with the noise coming from spectators, wryly alluding to the fact that she’s used to the raucous New York audience.

When asked about the same issue in her post-match conference following her win over Putintseva yesterday, Paula Badosa went a step further.

“I think she cannot complain,” was the Spaniard’s blunt assertion.

“I played Court 8 and 9 and you can hear everything. I can hear Suzanne Lenglen, Philippe-Chatrier, Court 6, 7 during the points.

“I think she’s very lucky she can play all the time on Philippe-Chatrier and she’s okay with that. But I don’t mind. As I said, I played in small courts these days, and I was hearing so much noise. In that moment, I’m just so focused on myself and on my match that it doesn’t really bother me.”

Badosa went on to express gratitude for the presence of fans after the dark days of the pandemic, when tennis was played behind close doors for the last few months of 2020.

“Honestly, I like when the fans cheer and all this. I think I get pumped. Look, we had a very tough situation years ago when we were playing without fans with the Covid situation.

“So now, for me, I’m so happy they’re back and I think they’re very important for our sport.”

best friend sabalenka up next for badosa, as swiatek marches on

The Spaniard plays her good friend Aryna Sabalenka in the third round on Chatrier later today.

The world No 2 admitted in her press conference yesterday that it would be “tough” to face Badosa because of the close nature of their friendship.

“She’s my favourite,” the Belarusian said.

“I love her so much. I love to see her play, and she’s really a great fighter, so it’s always great matches.

“It’s always tough to play your best friend on tour, but we know how to manage that, we know how to separate court and life. It’s always a great battle. I always enjoy playing against her.”

Swiatek, meanwhile, is already through to the fourth round where she will face Anastasia Potapova for a place in the last eight.

There were no repeat criticisms of the Roland-Garros crowd following her straight-set win over Bouzkova yesterday, and no signs of ill-will towards the world No 1, as Swiatek was serenaded for her 23rd birthday after the match.

Given the sheer intensity of her encounter with Osaka in the second round, perhaps the Parisian crowd decided to give their two-time champion the benefit of the doubt, with Swiatek also distancing herself from comments that were made in the heat of the moment following one of the toughest and most emotionally draining matches of her career.

Whatever the case, it appears the hatchet has been quickly buried. While overly noisy spectators remains a recurring issue throughout this year’s French Open, the Parisian love affair between Swiatek and the Roland-Garros crowd continues undiminished.