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Iga Swiatek's subtle dig at the WTA during a press conference at the United Cup has left tennis fans delighted.
Swiatek and Hubert Hurkacz led Poland to the semifinals of the United Cup with a dominant 3-0 win over China. The World No. 1 played an instrumental role in the triumph, defeating Qinwen Zheng 6-2, 6-3 in an hour and 21 minutes. The 22-year-old, along with the rest of Team Poland, will now travel from Perth to Sydney for the semifinals.
In her post-match press conference, Iga Swiatek expressed her delight at the adjustments made to the United Cup scheduling this year, praising the tournament organizers for taking the players' feedback into account.
In the inaugural edition of the event last year, group matches were decided in five ties played over two days. However, this year, the tournament revamped the format to three ties per match.
The Pole recalled discussing this matter with organizers in 2023 and was pleased to see them act on it. She also hinted at her dissatisfaction with the responsiveness of other organizations, presumably taking a dig at the WTA as the World No. 1 has made no secret about her issues with their scheduling.
"Yeah, I'm saying it for a third time, but they actually listened. Last year I had a meeting right after, and they seemed really understanding. It's something that we lack I think from some. ... Yeah, organization. It's good to have that," she said.
Iga Swiatek's jab at the WTA drew cheers from tennis fans, with several of them expressing delight at the four-time Grand Slam champion shading the organization.
"Oh that last sentence ... shade them Iga," a fan posted.
"WTA get off the floor," another chimed in.
Another fan applauded the Pole for putting her World No. 1 ranking to good use.
"Putting that #1 ranking to good use," the fan commented.
Here are a few more reactions from fans on X:
Iga Swiatek: "I feel like I'm playing well, and I make progress comparing to last year"
During the press conference, Iga Swiatek also discussed her stellar run at the United Cup, confirming that it has given her a confidence boost ahead of the Australian Open.
"A lot. For sure 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 hard courts," Iga Swiatek said.
However, the World No. 1 conceded that Grand Slam tournaments present greater challenges and pressure. As a result, she's keeping her focus on the United Cup instead of dwelling on the Melbourne Slam just yet.
"I don't know, I just feel like I can really be in a good place physically and mentally. I'm just using on court. 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," she added.
Iga Swiatek and Team Poland will take on the winner of the quarterfinal clash between France and Norway in the semifinals on Saturday, January 6.
