Iga Świątek Criticizes French Open Crowd After Thrilling Victory Over Naomi Osaka

Iga Świątek, the defending champion at Roland Garros, voiced her frustration with the French Open crowd for shouting during points following her tense second-round victory against Naomi Osaka on Wednesday.

Świątek, trailing by a break in the deciding set and facing a match point, managed to save her place in an enthralling contest with Osaka. She eventually secured a 7-6 (7-1), 1-6, 7-5 win on Court Philippe Chatrier. Known for her calm and reserved demeanor, Świątek's rebuke of the crowd was surprising.

“I have huge respect for you guys, and I know that we are playing basically for you because this is entertainment and we are also earning money because of you,” Świątek said in her on-court interview. “But sometimes [we’re] 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. This is serious for us, we’re fighting our whole lives to be better and better, and sometimes it’s just hard to accept that.

“The stakes are big, and there’s a lot of money here to win. Losing a few points may change a lot. Please, guys, if you can support us between the rallies but not during, that would be really, really amazing.”

Świątek, aiming for her fifth Grand Slam title and fourth at the French Open, received cheers from the crowd as she delivered her message.

The match between Świątek and Osaka, both current and former world No. 1 players with four Grand Slam titles each, surprisingly saw many empty seats. Andy Murray noted on X, “Osaka vs Swiatek is a brilliant watch,” adding that the sport should be doing more to promote such high-caliber matches.

The French Open crowd has faced scrutiny this week. Belgian player David Goffin mentioned that a spectator spat chewing gum at him during his five-set victory against Frenchman Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard. “Soon, there will be smoke bombs, hooligans, and fights in the stands,” Goffin told Belgian media, per Reuters. “It’s starting to become ridiculous. Some people are there more to cause trouble than to create an atmosphere.”

A French Open spokesperson told CNN, “The public are incredibly enthusiastic, particularly on the outside courts. However, they must of course show full respect to all players while doing so. Oversight bodies are in place to ensure rules are followed. Although it is only natural that fans share their excitement and cheer on their favorites, this must not go against the values of tennis or consideration for the players.”

Osaka described the atmosphere as “really incredible,” noting the crowd’s enjoyment during the match. Returning to tennis after the birth of her daughter, Osaka has dropped outside the top 100 in world rankings but displayed formidable skill against Świątek.

Despite many expecting a comfortable win for Świątek on her favored clay surface, the match was fiercely contested. The Polish 22-year-old, turning 23 on Friday, gained the upper hand in the opening set, winning 12 points in a row for a 3-1 lead. Osaka, however, responded strongly, breaking Świątek at 4-3 after trailing 40-0 earlier in the game. Świątek had to save a set point at 5-4 and eventually won the first set in an hour and nine minutes.

Osaka dominated the second set, breaking Świątek three times to level the match. Another break at the start of the final set put Osaka on course for an upset victory, but costly misses at 5-3, including a netted backhand on match point, allowed Świątek to survive. The defending champion rallied, securing two breaks of serve and clinching a thrilling victory in three hours and 13 minutes, despite Osaka’s impressive performance featuring eight aces and 54 winners.

“It’s hard to have any logical thoughts because it was really intense and on a really high level,” Świątek told reporters. “I was in huge trouble in the third set but I managed somehow to win this match.”

Świątek, bidding to become the first woman to win three consecutive French Open titles since Justine Henin in 2007, will face either Croatia’s Jana Fett or the Czech Republic’s Marie Bouzková in the third round.