Iga Swiatek is undoubtedly one of the best tennis players in the world, but the world number two has a knack of letting controversy follow her around.
Yesterday, the Polish performer progressed to the last 16 at Indian Wells, coming through in comfortable fashion against Ukrainian player Dayana Yastremska.
Swiatek served out a bagel for the opening set and would lose just a couple of games in the second to set up a date with 15th seed Karolina Muchova tomorrow.
It’s been a good start to the tournament for Swiatek who has done something that only Serena Williams can better following her first two matches.
Swiatek has delivered her verdict on the courts at Indian Wells too. A number of players have voiced their opinion on that situation and it’s a debate that seems to be rumbling on.
Controversy has marred her latest win, however, with one incident in the first set causing quite a stir on social media.
Tennis fans all say the same thing about Iga Swiatek after win over Dayana Yastremska
The incident in question came with the score at 5-0 to Swiatek in the opening set of the match and the world number two on serve.
After a drop shot from the Ukraine-born players, Swiatek managed to get to the ball and deflected it off the net over the other side to claim the point.
However, it appeared as though the ball had bounced twice, much to the dismay of her critics who began to circle on social media.
Another fan wrote on X: “Why is she always involved in this kind of drama.”
Someone else was very annoyed with the etiquette of Swiatek, writing: “Every single week she has one of these, she has worse gamesmanship than Siegemund.”
Another eagle-eyed fan wrote: “I don’t speak on stuff like this but yeah kind not cool. It didn’t matter anyway, but I can understand some people’s frustrations.”
Finally, there were a couple of people defending her given the close nature of this particular call.
Another said: “I mean it’s the job of the umpire to call the double bounce.”
Swiatek embroiled in Australian Open controversy in 2025
This is becoming an unwanted trait that is following Swiatek round and comes just months after a similar controversy at the Australian Open.
Swiatek put the blame firmly in the corner of the umpire when it happened during a quarter-final win over Emma Navarro at the Melbourne tournament.
It proved an important point and gave Swiatek a slight advantage at 2-2 in the second set, with the replays clearly showing that Navarro’s drop shot had bounced twice.
With all of the technology in the game, it’s a bit of mystery why things like this keep happening – and they seemingly always involve Swiatek.
It’s important that the WTA up their game in this sense and start getting these big calls right as it would appear only a matter of time before it costs a player big time in the future.
Swiatek is right to a certain degree to suggest that it’s the job of the umpire to make the calls but it would be nice in the future if players could make some calls out of courtesy and as an act of sportsmanship too.
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