Iga Swiatek harassed during practice at Miami Open, receives additional security

The 5-time Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek was harassed during practice sessions at the Miami Open, after being subjected to constant shouting from a man who interrupted her session with personal insults. The Polish player received additional security at the tournament ahead of her upcoming match against Elina Svitolina.

Recently, the case of harassment that Emma Raducanu suffered at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships had stolen attention, after the Brit interrupted her match against Karolina Muchova when she identified a man harassing her in the crowd. The man had to be escorted out of the venue for the match to continue.

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This time, the victim was Swiatek, whose practice session was interrupted after a man mocked personal issues related to her family. In a video posted on social media by user Dzonny Bravo, the man can be seen making comments at Swiatek from the side of the court in Polish.

The tournament organization and the WTA quickly took action, which was shared on the Polish radio station Polskie Radio 24. "Ensuring players' safety is the top priority," said Daria Sulgotowska, PR Manager for Swiatek. Other players such as Katie Boulter and Danielle Collins have faced similar situations to Swiatek's in the past.

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Mirra Andreeva subjected to vile abuse as unbeaten streak ends at Miami Open against Amanda Anisimova

Harassment is becoming an increasingly frequent issue among WTA players. Numerous cases of hate messages have been regularly reported by several players – the most recent being Mirra Andreeva after losing to Amanda Anisimova in Miami.

Swiatek will return to the court on Tuesday, March 25, to face Ukrainian Elina Svitolina in a bid for a spot in the Miami Open quarterfinals, a tournament she won in 2022.

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