Polish tennis player Iga Swiatek, former WTA world leader, left the WTA 1000 Masters in Rome prematurely, after being eliminated by Daniell Collins from the USA in the third round, in straight sets.
Swiatek lost decisively to Collins with a score of 6-1, 7-5, and after the match, she sparked controversy by deciding not to attend the post-match press conference.
One of the most influential voices in tennis journalism worldwide, Jose Moron, editor-in-chief of the publication Punto de Break, strongly criticized this initial decision of Iga not to appear and speak in front of the press in Rome.
"It seems that Iga Swiatek will not hold a press conference today after her defeat in Rome. There is something wrong with our sport if, after such a defeat, the world number 2 does not appear in front of the press to answer journalists' questions," Moron warned in a post on the X platform, where he is followed by over 75,000 people.
Later, after 4 hours from her announcement that she would not attend the conference, Swiatek changed her mind and showed up to meet with the journalists: "It's clear that I'm doing something wrong. I need to make a change. It would be foolish to wait too long for Roland Garros, because I am not able to play my game right now," Iga conveyed.
Swiatek succumbed in straight sets to Danielle Collins and will drop out of the WTA Top 3 for the first time since March 2022. She is currently ranked 4th in the LIVE rankings.
D.A.