Martina Navratilova sticks up for Iga Swiatek as she shuts down 'nasty' troll attacking Pole's 'humility' after Madrid Open heartbreak

Martina Navratilova has jumped to Iga Swiatek's defense after an internet troll rejoiced at the Pole's emotional reaction to her loss to Coco Gauff in the semifinals of the 2025 Madrid Open. Navratilova sent out a strongly worded statement about Swiatek's character to push back against the troll's claims.

Swiatek's hopes of successfully defending her title at the WTA 1000 event in Madrid were dashed by Gauff in their blockbuster semifinal clash. The American claimed a dominant 6-1, 6-1 victory, recording her third straight win over the World No. 2 and booking her place in the final.

Iga Swiatek was visibly devastated by her inability to challenge Coco Gauff, as she broke down in tears in the second set after directing a frustrated outburst at her team in her player's box. After a clip of the emotional moment circulated on X, Casper Ruud wrote a heartwarming message for the Pole, encouraging her to remain positive and hailing her as an inspiration.

However, not everyone felt the same way, as an X user expressed delight at Coco Gauff's victory because they felt it would teach the Pole some "humility."

"I am grateful Coco did her job and moved into the Final. Iga seems to think she can be no.1 all the time, time for her to learn some humility," the user posted.

Martina Navratilova did not take kindly to the troll's comment and called them out for being "nasty."

"Nasty much? Yup…," Navratilova responded.

The user argued that they were simply being honest while also expressing sorrow at the reports that Swiatek's grandfather passed away shortly before her Madrid Open campaign.

However, Navratilova lashed out at the user for doubling down on criticizing Iga Swiatek, arguing that the Pole had always presented herself as a humble champion and inspiring role model.

"No Martina, I'm honest, it's a shame she lost her grandfather," the user commented.

"No clue what you’re talking about regarding Iga. She has always been a humble champion and a great role model. So stop with this humility BS," she wrote.

Martina Navratilova also called out the user for being "nasty" after they responded to her statement with laughing emojis.

"It was pretty bad" - Iga Swiatek give candid assessment of her level after Madrid Open loss to Coco Gauff

Iga Swiatek - Source: Getty

In her post-match press conference, Iga Swiatek assessed her subpar level during her loss in the Madrid Open semifinals. Although the five-time Grand Slam champion acknowledged Gauff played well, she pointed out that she didn't put up much of a challenge with her poor performance.

"I couldn't really get my level up. Coco played good, but, yeah, I think it's, you know, on me that I didn't really move well, I wasn't ready to play back the shots with heaviness, and, yeah, with that kind of game like, yeah, it was pretty bad," Iga Swiatek said.

Swiatek will be back in action at the Italian Open, which is scheduled to begin on May 6. The Pole will be looking to recover from her heartbreak in Madrid in order to deliver a stronger performance for her title defense at the WTA 1000 event in Rome.

Subsequently, Iga Swiatek will compete at the French Open, aiming to win her fourth consecutive title at the claycourt Major.