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Tennis fans on the internet are baffled by Swiss apparel and footwear giants On rolling out Ben Shelton merchandise instead of Iga Swiatek merchandise despite having her as their brand ambassador.
Both Swiatek and Shelton signed up with On in March 2023. The WTA star previously wore Asics whereas Shelton donned weave produced by New Balance. Notably, On has 20-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer as an investor.
Ahead of the Australian Open, On unveiled their limited edition Ben Shelton t-shirts with 'Dialed In' printed on the front, to celebrate the American's famous US Open gesture from September 2023.
The move by On has irked tennis buffs, many of whom are livid that they didn't release a dedicated line of products for Iga Swiatek despite her being much more successful.
"Are you f kidding me? Do you know Iga's popularity, achievements, and ranking @on_running? A boy with a cringe gesture gets his own shirt over a guaranteed Hall of Famer," a fan wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
Another disappointed fan wrote:
"Yes he is American why not. what an awful world, they ignore the #1 & 4GS champion to promote an show player, but to be honest I'm not surprised he belongs to team 8 agency they now how topromote him with coco, and Iga is with IMG who promotes just Flopucanu (Emma) and Alcaraz."
A third fan decried On's apparent negligence toward the four-time Grand Slam champion.
"Are they for real??? Don't get me wrong, I like Benny but they have no 1 on board, someone who's breaking records, someone who's achievements are "since Serena"," the fan tweeted.
Here are a few more reactions from X:
Iga Swiatek: "Grand Slam, it's always a little bit tougher, there's more pressure"
Iga Swiatek represented Poland at the United Cup and led them to the final. While talking to the press during the tournament, she expressed confidence in her progress over the past 12 months.
"I feel like I'm playing well, and I make progress comparing to last year. I feel like I have more skills to play on these faster hardcourts. I just feel like I can really be in a good place physically and mentally," she said.
While answering a question on her preparations for the Australian Open, the World No. 1 added that a Grand Slam tournament is more intimidating than a team event. She said:
"Obviously, every tournament is a different story. Grand Slam, it's always a little bit tougher, there's more pressure. I'm just thinking about finishing this tournament well, and we'll see what's going to happen in Melbourne."
Iga Swiatek's United Cup run ended on a disappointing note as Poland lost to Alexander Zverev-led Germany in the final.
