World No. 2 Iga Swiatek has been granted extra security after an incident in which an unruly fan verbally abused her during a practice session at the Miami Open last weekend, according to a report by the BBC. The increase in security came ahead of Swiatek’s match on Wednesday, where the five-time world champion was upset by Alexandra Eala in the quarterfinals.
The spectator, who was characterized as “aggressive and taunting,” allegedly shouted personal insults about Swiatek’s family after previously having sent her abusive messages online. The BBC reports that Swiatek’s team reported the incident, leading tournament organizers and the WTA to put extra security in place ahead of her match on Wednesday.
“Security is a top priority. We monitor the network to catch these types of issues,” a spokesperson for Swiatek said. “Constructive criticism is one thing, and threats, hate speech or even disturbance during training is another — this cannot be condoned.”
The matter involving Swiatek comes on the heels of another incident in which fan behavior proved disturbing for a women’s tennis star. At the Dubai Championships, a stoppage in play occurred after Emma Raducanu was frightened by the presence of a man who had been stalking her during her second round match, leading to enhanced security being put in place for her. The man in question has since been banned from all WTA tournaments.
While it’s uncertain as to whether or not the harassment incident and subsequent reaction affected her play, Swiatek ended up losing her quarterfinal match on Wednesday to Alexandra Eala. At 19-years old, Eala pulled off a major upset after having made the Miami Open as a wild card before knocking off Swiatek, who won the event back in 2022.
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