Iga Swiatek breaks rank to make serious plea to French Open fans - 'A lot of money to win'
Iga Swiatek used her on-court interview to raise an issue with the French Open crowd.
Iga Swiatek was forced to bring up something she "usually doesn't" as she used her on-court interview to make a "serious" plea to the fans at the French Open.
The world No. 1 survived a thriller against Naomi Osaka, saving a match point and winning the last five games to come through 7-6(1) 1-6 7-5. She was bothered by someone shouting mid-rally in the final set.
And she raised the issue straight after the match, explaining that there were a lot of stakes and money on the line for players.
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"I wanna say one thing. I am sorry to even bring this up," Swiatek said, taking the opportunity to address the crowd after being affected by their actions. "I have huge respect for you guys and I know we are playing for you. This is entertainment and we are also earning money because of you.
"But sometimes under a lot of pressure when you scream something during the rally or right before the return, it’s really, really hard to be focused."
Swiatek broke her usual "focused" mindset to address the issue, admitting that she wouldn't normally speak out.
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She continued: "I usually don’t bring this up because I want to be this kind of player that is in the zone and really focused.
"This is serious for us, we are fighting our whole lives to be better and better. Sometimes it’s hard to accept that. The stakes are big. There is a lot of money to win. The few points may change a lot.
“So please guys, if you can support us between the rallies not during that would be really, really amazing."
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But Swiatek didn't want to upset the fans with her comments, especially given how well she usually plays in Paris. " I hope you are still going to like me because the French crowd might get some players that they don’t like and boo," she added.
"I love you guys. I love playing here - let’s continue that. This match was much more intense for the second round than I had ever expected. We played amazing tennis. I am happy she is back."
