“This woman is a champion,” Andy Roddick hails Iga Swiatek after video shows her in tears following an intense win over Naomi Osaka at 2024 Roland Garros

Swiatek had to fight hard for the win against Osaka.

“This woman is a champion,” Andy Roddick hails Iga Swiatek after video shows her in tears following an intense win over Naomi Osaka at 2024 Roland Garros

Andy Roddick and Iga Swiatek (VIa Imago)

Former American tennis ace Andy Roddick has hailed Iga Swiatek after a video showed the World No. 1 in tears following her win over Naomi Osaka in an intense match. As Swiatek earned a hard-fought victory after a grueling battle for three hours, she was overwhelmed with emotions. While the Polish ace managed to hold her tears back on the court, she could not resist crying in the locker room.

A video showed Swiatek shedding tears after the match. It went viral on social media platforms with netizens highlighting the pressure athletes endure during their matches. Quite a few tennis fans empathized with the World No. 1 women’s tennis player while Roddick took a dig at Swiatek’s critics.

YouTube video

The American tennis targeted those who claim that Swiatek does not care about wins and losses. Roddick emphasized the point that a hard-fought win means a lot to any player even if it is in the second round of a Grand Slam tournament. He also pointed to the fact that champion players are also humans.

FS Video
..try to tell me Iga doesn’t care. This was a second round match at a tournament she’s already won three times. This is sports. You fight, you survive, and then you become human again. Rinse, repeat. This woman is a champion….. and human
Andy Roddick posted on X while quoting Iga Swiatek’s viral video.
https://twitter.com/andyroddick/status/1796360058785415374

Iga Swiatek’s call for treating players as humans

Iga Swiatek not only battled an upbeat Naomi Osaka during her second-round match at the 2024 Roland Garros but she also faced a hostile crowd. The 22-year-old was affected by the loud crowd and Swiatek confessed to getting distracted during her rallies.

Iga Swiatek reacts during her match against Naomi Osaka
Iga Swiatek reacts during her match against Naomi Osaka (Via Imago)

She even appealed to the fans not to shout during rallies while they could continue to cheer in between. Swiatek then asked the French crowd to treat players as humans. 

I got the most frustrated when I missed a volley. One of the balls was flying to me and somebody shouted… I know that I should be more focused and not let it distract me, but at times, it’s hard. I know that French crowd can be harsh. So I don’t want to be under the radar right now. I don't know if it was a good decision or not, but I hope they can treat me as a human and we can kind of work on it.
Iga Swiatek said after her win over Naomi Osaka.

Meanwhile, Osaka had a contrary opinion on this matter. Nevertheless, Swiatek caused much stir with her statement but her viral video showing the player overwhelmed with emotions seems to have filled fans with empathy.

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