Iga Świątek, the world No. 2 and five-time Grand Slam champion, faced a distressing incident during a practice session at the Miami Open when an aggressive male spectator verbally harassed her. The individual shouted personal insults in Polish, targeting Świątek’s family and psychologist. This encounter marked an escalation from prior online harassment, as the same man had previously sent offensive messages to her on social media.
Świątek’s team promptly reported the incident to the tournament organizers and the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA). In response, both entities acted swiftly to enhance her security during the tournament. A spokesperson for Świątek emphasized the importance of player safety, stating, “Security is a top priority. We monitor the network to catch these types of issues. Constructive criticism is one thing, and threats, hate speech or even disturbance during training is another – this cannot be condoned.”