An unfortunate incident has overshadowed the WTA tournament in Miami. Tennis star Iga Świątek was apparently threatened during training. The organizers reacted.
Unrest off the court: During the WTA tournament in Miami, Iga Świątek was threatened by a man during training, according to information from the BBC. The incident is said to have occurred last Saturday, as reported by the British broadcaster, citing the Polish woman’s management.
According to the report, the man had previously attracted attention via social media and sent Świątek offensive messages. Now he has behaved aggressively and scornfully during the star player’s training. “The incident in Miami appears to be a direct transition from online verbal aggression to a real-world threat,” the BBC reported, citing management.
Świątek is unexpectedly knocked out
Meanwhile, the tournament organizers and the WTA are said to have reacted quickly to the incident and taken additional security measures around Świątek. The organizers stressed to the BBC that the safety of all tournament participants is taken “extremely seriously”. The WTA said that comprehensive security protocols are in place to respond quickly and effectively to incidents of this kind.
Just a few hours after the report was made public, Świątek surprisingly lost to Alexandra Eala of the Philippines in the quarterfinals, 2-6, 5-7. Eala had previously defeated Australian Open champion Madison Keys.
The 23-year-old world number two Świątek is currently in the spotlight not only because of her sporting performance, but also because of her doping ban. In August, she tested positive for the banned heart medication trimetazidine. Świątek explained that the medication was contaminated and shortly afterwards served a one-month suspension. The World Anti-Doping Agency considered the information to be plausible and refrained from appealing.
