(In Images) Iga Swiatek Sends Three-Word Warning to Chair Umpire in an Ugly Roland Garros Spat

Iga Swiatek clashed with the chair umpire during the second set of her Roland Garros semifinal.

(In Images) Iga Swiatek Sends Three-Word Warning to Chair Umpire in an Ugly Roland Garros Spat

Iga Swiatek had a nasty spat with the umpire (via The Tennis Letter)

Iga Swiatek expressed her frustration during her semifinal match against Aryna Sabalenka at the French Open. After losing the first set in a tiebreak, she led by a break in the second when a disputed call sparked controversy. Swiatek questioned whether one of Sabalenka’s serves had caught the line and asked chair umpire Kader Nouni to inspect the mark on the clay.

Unlike most major tournaments that use electronic line-calling, the French Open continues with traditional line judges. This system requires umpires to check ball marks manually when players challenge calls. Swiatek believed the serve was out and pointed to a mark, requesting the umpire to verify it. She said to the chair umpire during Roland Garros semifinal:

That’s not fair.

However, Nouni declined to come down, stating that Swiatek had pointed to the wrong mark and took too long to make the request. The world No. 5 protested, insisting her mark was correct, and walked up to the umpire’s chair to argue her point.

Despite her efforts, Nouni remained firm and offered to show the correct mark after the game. Swiatek eventually resumed play, and Sabalenka held serve to narrow the gap to 3-4.

Iga Swiatek explains clash with the chair umpire

Former World No.1 Iga Swiatek voiced her frustration over a decision made by the chair umpire during her French Open semifinal loss to Aryna Sabalenka. She felt it was unfair that her request to inspect a ball mark on the clay was denied. The moment added tension to an already intense match. Swiatek added:

Well, he was coming to check every mark Aryna wanted to, even when the outs were like that. When I had the mark that was out, he was convincing me that I only came there because I saw that my return was out, and I framed the return, I knew that from the beginning that it’s going to be out, you know. I didn’t really look at the ball. I just wanted to check the mark, and I saw the mark was out.

Iga Swiatek loses her cool at Roland Garros
Iga Swiatek loses her cool at Roland Garros (via Motorcycle Sports)

The situation unfolded when Swiatek was leading 4-2 in the second set, with Sabalenka serving. After Sabalenka’s first serve was called out, Swiatek paused and pointed to a mark she believed showed the ball was out.

She asked chair umpire Kader Nouni to step down from his chair and check the mark. However, after a short discussion, the umpire declined her request. Swiatek eventually gave up trying to persuade him. Despite her disappointment, she returned to her position to receive Sabalenka’s second serve. As she did so, she wore a wry smile, reflecting her frustration with how the situation was handled.

Aryna Sabalenka bagels Iga Swiatek at Roland Garros

Aryna Sabalenka has brought Iga Swiatek’s dominance at Roland Garros to an end. The World No. 1 defeated the No. 5 seed 7-6(1), 4-6, 6-0 in their French Open semifinal on Thursday. This marks Sabalenka’s first Grand Slam final on a surface other than hard court.

Aryna Sabalenka, Iga Swiatek
Aryna Sabalenka, Iga Swiatek (Image via X/#AusOpen, The Tennis Letter)

The match lasted 2 hours and 19 minutes and broke Swiatek’s 26-match winning streak at the tournament. Swiatek had previously won the title four times, starting in 2020 and then three consecutive times from 2022 to 2024. Her overall record at Roland Garros now stands at 40 wins and 3 losses.

Sabalenka is clearly leading the women’s tour at both Grand Slam and WTA levels. This win was her 40th main-draw victory of the season, the highest on tour. She has now won her last five Grand Slam semifinal appearances, showing strong consistency at the biggest events.

Next, Sabalenka will face Coco Gauff in the final, setting up a No. 1 vs. No. 2 clash. Their head-to-head is tied at 5-5, with each winning once in Grand Slam matches. This was only their second meeting in a major, with Swiatek having previously beaten Sabalenka at the 2022 US Open. Interestingly, this is the first time since 2020 that Swiatek entered Roland Garros without a clay-court title.

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