"Iga Swiatek is a sore loser," Fans express outrage at the five-time Grand Slam champion for her disrespect towards Coco Gauff

Polish tennis star Iga Swiatek found herself at the center of controversy after her loss to American sensation Coco Gauff in the United Cup finals. The match took place on Sunday, January 5, where both players battled for the prestigious cup. Team USA, led by Gauff and Taylor Fritz, was eyeing its second United Cup since the event’s debut in 2022, while Team Poland, which included Hubert Hurkacz, was eager to clinch their first title after missing out in 2023 when they lost to Germany.

Gauff ultimately secured a second consecutive victory over Swiatek, which helped ensure the American team's triumph, later confirmed by Fritz’s win over Hurkacz. Not only did Gauff’s victory guarantee the Cup for the U.S., but it also sent a clear message that she is back in top form, ready to challenge for the upcoming Australian Open. However, amid these developments, Swiatek’s actions during the match sparked outrage among fans, with many expressing their disappointment in her behavior on court.

What fans had to say

The controversy began when Gauff defeated Swiatek 6-4, 6-4 in a match that lasted nearly two hours. Following the final set, both players went through the customary post-match handshake, but it was this exchange that caught the eye of fans. Some labeled Swiatek a "sore loser" after a video of the handshake surfaced on X (formerly Twitter). In the video, Swiatek appeared to offer a quick handshake with Gauff before walking off to her dugout without saying a word. While this may have seemed like an ordinary gesture to some, fans were quick to criticize Swiatek for what they saw as a lack of respect towards her opponent.

Expressing her disappointment in the five-time Grand Slam champion, the fan expressed:

"Iga Swiatek is a very sore loser. She deployed all the gamesmanship tactics against Coco Gauff but still lost and didn’t even have the respect to give a proper handshake. Appalling from the world #2."

Replying to the above tweet, another fan added:

"Such a sore loooser. Girl, get over yourself and be grateful you get Coco as rival lol."

Tagging Swiatek another fan commented:

"@iga_swiatek not a good look…"

One other fan chimed in with:

"That’s some low shit at the net. You can’t even look Coco in the eye?"

With the Australian Open around, it is unlikely that Swiatek will react to these fans' reactions as she would want to redeem herself at the tournament by focusing on her game instead of responding to her critics. The tournament is starting from Monday, January 6.