The biggest drama at the 2025 US Open wasn’t happening on the court. After Iga Świątek secured her spot in the third round with a gritty three-set victory, she found herself in the middle of a media firestorm that had nothing to do with her tennis.
What should have been routine post-match questions turned into uncomfortable exchanges about race, respect, and a bizarre comment about hair beads that left everyone scratching their heads.
How Did the Taylor Townsend-Jelena Ostapenko Controversy Drag Iga Świątek Into Drama?
After Świątek defeated Suzan Lamens 6-1, 4-6, 6-4 in the second round, the attention quickly shifted from her upcoming third-round match to a tense media session that caught both her and everyone else off guard.
Hours earlier, the 2025 US Open was hit by a controversial post-match clash between Taylor Townsend and Jelena Ostapenko. After Townsend’s win, Ostapenko confronted her regarding etiquette over a net-cord shot, but things escalated when Ostapenko said Townsend had “no class” and “no education.” That sparked talks of possible racism, even though the Latvian clarified her stance.
Regarding that incident, a reporter asked Świątek if there are double standards in tennis and women’s sports that affect African-American players. The Polish star responded with composure, saying she isn’t an expert on the topic and prefers to stay focused on tennis.
“I can’t speak about every sport, because I don’t have enough knowledge, you know. We’re in this environment, we’re in the tennis world, we’re thinking about tennis mostly,” Świątek stated. “I think obviously the world’s changed throughout the years, and I know that there has been some issue yesterday, but honestly, I was so focused, I had early match, so I wasn’t really… I’m not caught up on that. I’m probably going to catch up today.”
“But you can’t really judge from a behavior of one person the whole community,” the World No. 2 added.
Iga getting asked about yesterday’s drama and “what it says about women’s sports”
byu/Federal-tortuga intennis
However, the journalist kept pushing even though the moderator tried to stop him. He kept asking directly about the “double standards” and racial inequality in women’s sports. Świątek looked uneasy and repeated her stance, saying:
“I can’t speak about the whole of women’s sports. I’m a tennis player. I’m, like, 24. I haven’t been playing soccer, I haven’t been playing, I don’t know, basketball. I don’t know how it is in all women’s sports. You have to ask someone experienced. Probably some people that have been working in different sports.”
Why Did a Polish Reporter’s Question About Hair Beads Anger Świątek?
The press conference took an even more bizarre turn when a Polish reporter asked Świątek an unusual question in her native language. The reporter asked if Świątek had ever considered wearing beads in her hair.
The World No. 2, who is typically known for her calm composure in front of reporters, looked annoyed by the question and replied, “What kind of question is this? I’m sorry. Did you think about putting beads in your hair? No. What’s going on here?”
Tell me it’s not real…
The question is whether Iga wanted to weave beads into her hair pic.twitter.com/CBDV5EFw3m
— S.|198km/h| (@Sarilec) August 28, 2025
The situation could have been tense because the question touched on a sensitive racial and historical issue in tennis, especially after the Ostapenko-Townsend verbal spat. Beaded hairstyles had been famously worn by players like Venus and Serena Williams to celebrate their Black heritage. That timing made the reporter’s comment seem particularly tone-deaf.
Reporter Tomek Moczerniuk later clarified the situation and apologized. On social media, he explained that he only meant to ask a lighthearted question to break the tension at the end of the press conference. Moczerniuk wrote:
“The conversation with Iga got a little out of hand. Unfortunately, I got a backlash because she didn’t like me asking if, since New Yorkers like a show, she’s ever considered a little shock value, for example, by weaving beads into hair.”
Trzeba poznać cały kontekst. Końcówka konferencji była nerwowa, a ja chciałem lekko rozładować atmosferę i zadać obyczajowe, luźne pytanie. Ale wyszło jak wyszło, czasu nie cofnę. Igę przeproszę przy najbliższej okazji. Pozdrawiam.
— Tomek Moczerniuk #PrzeglądOnTour (@TomekMoczerniuk) August 28, 2025
Świątek’s post-match press conference brought some unexpected drama to her US Open campaign. After a tough battle on court, she also had to face off-court controversies that tested her composure. For now, though, the Polish star will be focusing on her third-round match against Anna Kalinskaya.
