"Hard to accept"

Swiatek criticizes heckler at French Open!

Iga Swiatek

(Bild: Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

After the French Open thriller against Naomi Osaka, Iga Swiatek initially praised the unfortunate loser, but then turned to the largely French audience with critical words! It was "very difficult to stay focused", said the 22-year-old on Court Philippe Chatrier, "when you shout something during the rally or just before the return." Tournament boss Amélie Mauresmo has now announced a tougher crackdown on troublemakers. 

It was "hard to accept", said the world number one Swiatek and explained: "This is serious for us. We fight our whole lives to get better and better." She hoped "that you still like me", Swiatek said to the audience, because French fans could sometimes "pick out players they don't like and then boo them. But I love you guys and I always love playing here. So let's keep it going." There was mainly applause from the stands for these statements.

In sporting terms, the 7:6(1), 1:6, 7:5 win against Osaka from Japan was a tough piece of work. The defending champion fought back from 2:5 down in the third set and also fought off a match point. "Naomi played incredible tennis and took a lot of risks," said the three-time French Open winner: "I'm happy that she's back and playing so well."

Goffin complains of "total disrespect" from French fans
Before Swiatek, other players had already complained about heckling from the crowd during the French Open. Three-time Grand Slam tournament winner Angelique Kerber from Germany was disturbed by a heckler during her first-round exit against Arantxa Rus from the Netherlands on set point and complained to the chair umpire. Belgian David Goffin complained of "total disrespect" from the French fans after he was spat at with chewing gum, among other things.

Mauresmo then announced tougher action on Thursday. "We will be unyielding in terms of respect for the players and the game," said the former world-class player at a media conference, where she also revealed the initial consequences. For example, she instructed the referees to be even more sensitive to the issue and to ensure that fans are ejected in the event of misconduct. In addition, alcohol will now be strictly prohibited in the stands.