Iga Swiatek didn't just suffer an upset loss to Maria Sakkari at the Qatar Open this Thursday, she was accused of showing zero class on the court.
As Sakkari was leading 5-3 in the final set, the chair umpire missed a double bounce on Swiatek when the score was 30-40. The play was eventually reviewed and overturned, much to the delight of fans in Doha. Nonetheless, some people had an issue with Swiatek's behavior during that sequence.
Fans thought Swiatek should've confessed to the double bounce instead of walking away from the scene with her head down. They claim that gesture from the world No. 2 showed a lack of sportsmanship, especially since the initial ruling rewarded her the game.
© Mike Frey-Imagn Images.
"Swiatek clearly knew it was a double bounce. Look at her demeanor, head down, quickly going back to her seat," one fan said. "She was never going to admit it. Just add it to the long list of unsportsmanlike behavior from her."
"Swiatek is a cheater it's not first time. She don't have class and sportsmanship," a second fan declared.
"Is Iga Swiatek the worst sportsmanship player in Tennis? She would likely have known that this clearly was a double bounce, I'm so pleased @mariasakkari kept her composure and beat her," another fan wrote.
Maria Sakkari pulls off the upset.
Although it wasn't easy, Sakkari defeated Swiatek 2-6, 6-4, 7-5 to punch her ticket to the semifinals of the Qatar Open. Believe it or not, it was her first win over Swiatek since 2021.
Sakkari, who made the semifinals of the French Open and US Open in 2021, was once ranked No. 3 in the world. Although she fell outside of the top 50, she's set to return to the top 35 after this tournament.
“I’m speechless, because it’s been a while since I’ve had a big win like today,” said Sakkari, via The Tennis Gazette. "When you drop in the rankings, and you’re not playing good tennis, you start doubting yourself and think that you’re never going to beat those players again."
Sakkari will be back in action Friday against either Anna Kalinskaya or Karolina Muchova.