Swiatek Takes Sly Dig At Madrid Open Organizers Over Scheduling

| by Balasz Virag

Iga Swiatek's Madrid Open final loss took an unexpected turn when she subtly criticized the tournament organizers over her late-night match scheduling.

The Pole may have been gracious in defeat at the 2023 Madrid Open, but she did not shy away from voicing her concerns about the scheduling issues she faced during the tournament. Following her loss to Aryna Sabalenka in the final, Swiatek took the opportunity to address the packed crowd, offering her thoughts on the intense match and the series of events leading up to it.

However, it was her sly dig at the tournament organizers that stole the spotlight. Swiatek's late-night scheduling woes began in the fourth round when she faced off against Ekaterina Alexandrova in a grueling three-set match that concluded around 1 AM in Madrid.

Despite the fatigue, she managed to secure a hard-fought victory with a 6-4, 6-7(3), 6-3 scoreline. Although visibly exhausted, Swiatek persevered and made her way to the finals.

During her post-match speech, Swiatek graciously congratulated her opponent, Sabalenka, for her outstanding performance, and expressed her hopes for more future finals between the two players.

"Congrats Aryna, amazing match. You always play such an intense tennis and every match is a challenge, so congrats, you fully deserve it. We both have a great season so hopefully there are going to be more finals."

Sabalenka Overpowers Swiatek in Epic Madrid Open Final
Sabalenka Overpowers Swiatek in Epic Madrid Open Final

She then went on to thank her team, family, and the fans who supported her throughout the tournament.

"I want to thank my team. We had pretty amazing two and a half weeks, coming back from an injury and playing so solid, it's also because of you guys, and thank you to my family as well."

The world no. 1 started addressing also the crowd when they started cheering and started with positives, saying that the city is beautiful as well as the support from the crowd.

"I wanna thank you guys for coming and enjoying tennis with us. I really saw Madrid from a different side this year, it's a really beautiful city and it's a pleasure to play here in front of you guys."

However, Swiatek's most notable remark came when she addressed the late-night scheduling issue she experienced during her match against Alexandrova.

"It's not fun to play at 1 AM though, so I'm happy anyway that I was able to get past this experience, and survive and be in the final, so thank you for your support and your energy."

As she made her comments, the camera panned to capture the disappointed expression on the face of tournament director Feliciano Lopez, who was standing behind her. This subtle jab at the organizers highlighted the potential negative impact of poor scheduling decisions on the players' physical and mental well-being.

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