Iga Swiatek is unapologetic about achieving her 36th bagel set at WTA 1000 events following her victory in Doha.
In her return to competitive play at the Qatar TotalEnergies Open on Tuesday, Swiatek faced an unexpected challenge—not from her opponent, Janice Tjen, but from her own cellphone, which buzzed incessantly during her press conference after a commanding win of 6-0, 6-3. "I really should take that call!" she jokingly remarked as she hurried off toward the locker room.
The day turned out to be quite successful for the three-time champion in Doha, who allowed her rising Indonesian opponent, granted a wild card into the main draw, only three games throughout the match. However, it was Swiatek who truly made headlines by recording her remarkable 36th 6-0 set at a WTA 1000 tournament, a record that has stood since 2009. When asked about her outstanding performance, the Polish player expressed no remorse about the lopsided score.
In response to a question regarding her numerous 6-0 sets, she reflected, "When I was younger, I might have felt a bit guilty about that. But now, my focus is entirely on winning. This is sports; it wouldn’t make sense to just ease up or play at less than my best. I believe it’s important to give your all, not only for myself but also as a sign of respect to my opponent. I concentrate on my own game, and that’s what matters."
Looking ahead, Swiatek is set to face Daria Kasatkina in her next match, where she holds a favorable 6-1 lead in their previous encounters.
But here’s where it gets intriguing—how far should athletes go in maintaining sportsmanship when their performance leads to such decisive victories? Do you think it’s fair to keep pushing for perfection in every match, or should there be moments of leniency? Let us know your thoughts!
