"We're not getting married or something" - Iga Swiatek on being the only one in red instead of white at WTA Finals gala

Iga Swiatek defended her decision to wear a red dress at the WTA Finals gala, suggesting a white attire would be more appropriate for a wedding ceremony.

Swiatek kickstarted her third consecutive WTA Finals campaign with a comprehensive 7-6(3), 6-0 victory over 2023 Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova. But the second seed had grabbed eyeballs even before her first match, with her all-red costume at the customary gala - while the rest of the lot opted for shades of white.

After downing Vondrousova, Swiatek shed some light on what led to her being the odd one out.

"Honestly, there was no story. I picked the dress a couple of months before and then WTA emailed us that we should all wear white and we were like ‘Really? We’re not getting married or something’," she told Tennis Channel in an interview.

"So we asked them if it’s possible to not have that rule and they literally sent an email a couple of hours later saying, ‘It’s okay you can kind of wear whatever you want’," the Pole added.

The four-time Grand Slam champion revealed that as per the information that reached her, four more participants had decided to don a color other than white.

"I think most of the girls, maybe they thought the rule is still on or something but I’m not sure. I think it was a full coincidence because the day before we asked, I didn’t talk to the girls, but we asked like overall what they’re going to wear and they told us four girls are going to wear white so I didn’t know I’m going to be the only one," Iga Swiatek said.

Iga Swiatek: "I didn’t want to make a big fuss about my dress"

2023 WTA Finals - Previews

Iga Swiatek further stated that she was content with her pick for the evening because the outfit was designed by a Polish dressmaker.

"I didn’t want to make a big fuss about my dress or anything but I’m happy that I picked this one because it’s from a Polish fashion designer and I loved it from the beginning, the first time I saw it," the 22-year-old said.

The 2023 French Open winner maintained that red was symbolic of Mexican culture.

"It’s also like a little Mexican vibe, the red thing, so I think it was a nice choice. It was also the first time I wore something that was so… slim," she concluded.

Iga Swiatek will next take on Coco Gauff for her second group-stage WTA Finals encounter in Cancun, Mexico.