Iga Swiatek given extra security after harassment from man during practice session
Tennis ace Iga Swiatek had to be provided with additional security protection at the Miami Open tennis tournament after she was verbally attacked during a practice session a man. Media reports noted that the perpetrator of the verbal attack was the same person who had sent the Polish tennis star harassing messages via social media. The incident came just a month after a stalker had to be removed from a match being played 2021 US Open champion Emma Raducanu in Dubai.
In a video released online, the man can be heard shouting at Swiatek: “Hey Iga, call your mother. Iga, when are you going to make up with your mother?”
He then made references to Swiatek’s psycholog, Daria Abramowicz: “Daria runs with water, like a trained dog.”
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The five-time Grand Slam champion lost 6-2, 7-5 to a 19-year-old wildcard, Alexandra Eala, in the quarter-finals at the Miami Open.
“We monitor the network to catch these types of issues. Constructive criticism is one thing, and threats, hate speech or even durbance during training is another — this cannot be condoned,” a statement from Swiatek’s team said on Wednesday. “We reported the matter to the tournament organizer, as well as to the WTA … which reacted immediately and took additional precautions, such as additional security, for which we are very grateful.”
“Ensuring the safety of the players is crucial — they are the ones at the center of the event — and it is our job to protect them,” the statement from Swiatek’s team said.
Asked at the post-match press conference whether the security situation had disrupted her match preparations, Swiatek replied: “No, I wouldn’t say so.”Story continues below this ad
The Miami Open issued a statement saying: “We take the safety and security of all players and tournament attendees extremely seriously. We constantly evaluate any potential threats and take every measure to respond appropriately. To ensure the effectiveness of these efforts, we do not disclose the details of our security operations.”
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