Iga Swiatek addressed her continued support of Ukraine by wearing a commemorative pin following a 2022 Italian Open title victory over Ons Jabeur.
Since early March, Swiatek has been playing with a ribbon pinned to her hat featuring the colours of Ukraine’s flag. The world number one has joined other players in solidarity for Ukraine following Russia's invasion of the country in February this year.
Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, several players have been outspoken about the situation, and event organizers have acted quickly to ban Russian competitors from tournaments, including Wimbledon.
However, not all players have voiced their opinions, and Swiatek's support with a Ukraine-coloured pin is more reserved. After winning her fourth WTA title of the season at the Italian Open, the world number one stated that she did not specifically comment on the ban.
However, she did acknowledge the surprise that other players have stopped wearing tributes to Ukraine. In her post-match interview, Swiatek reinforced her solidarity for Ukraine and explained that she would continue to wear the commemorative pin.
Moreover, she believes that the closeness of her native Poland to the situation adds a personal feel for her.
"I’m going to wear it until the situation is going to get better."
"For sure the war is affecting Poland a little bit more. It’s something that I can’t experience with them because I’m traveling all around Europe. I for sure want to show my support to Ukrainian people, as every Polish person is doing at home."
It was a successful title defense week for the Polish player in Rome, who dominated the entire week by racing to the final in Rome without dropping a single set.
Even though Jabeur has been in sensational form lately - entering the final with an 11-match winning streak - she was no match to Swiatek as the world number one cruised to a 6-2, 6-2 triumph.
Following her title win at the Miami Open in March, Swiatek has held on to the top spot in the WTA rankings. The Polish youngster has risen to the pinnacle of the WTA rankings following some sensational form in 2022, including an ongoing 28-match winning streak stretching back to February.