Swiatek Calls for More Support for Ukrainian Players

Iga Swiatek of Poland celebrates defeating Emma Raducanu of Great Britain during BNP Paribas Open on March 14, 2023 in Indian Wells, California. (Getty Images/AFP)
Iga Swiatek of Poland celebrates defeating Emma Raducanu of Great Britain during BNP Paribas Open on March 14, 2023 in Indian Wells, California. (Getty Images/AFP)
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Swiatek Calls for More Support for Ukrainian Players

Iga Swiatek of Poland celebrates defeating Emma Raducanu of Great Britain during BNP Paribas Open on March 14, 2023 in Indian Wells, California. (Getty Images/AFP)
Iga Swiatek of Poland celebrates defeating Emma Raducanu of Great Britain during BNP Paribas Open on March 14, 2023 in Indian Wells, California. (Getty Images/AFP)

World number one Iga Swiatek has called for more support to be offered to Ukrainian players on the women's tour after Lesia Tsurenko said she withdrew from her match against Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka at Indian Wells due to a panic attack.

Tsurenko said the attack was triggered by a chat she had with WTA Chief Executive Steve Simon about tennis's response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Belarus has been a key staging ground for what Moscow calls a "special military operation".

Poland's Swiatek, who wears a Ukrainian flag on her cap during matches, has previously condemned Russia's invasion and said the action taken by the tennis leadership had not been enough.

"I totally understand why she withdrew, because honestly I respect Ukrainian girls so much. If a bomb landed in my country or if my home was destroyed, I don't know if I could handle that and compete," Swiatek said.

"You have to really mentally be there to compete every week. So I get that she wasn't ready to do that.

"I feel more should be done to help Ukrainian players because everything we discuss in tennis is about Belarusian and Russian players, if they should be allowed, what's going on with them.

"I don't think that's right, because we should focus more on helping Ukrainian players and providing them everything they need because they basically have to take care of all their families, and there's a lot of baggage on their shoulders."

Swiatek had also criticised Anastasia Potapova after she sparked outrage by wearing a T-shirt of Russian football team Spartak Moscow before her match against Jessica Pegula.

Swiatek said such situations could have easily been avoided.

"At the beginning we didn't have proper leadership to guide us through all of that," Swiatek said. "There's a lot of tension in the locker room that obviously is going to be there because there's a war.

"But maybe it should be a little bit less if WTA put some action at the beginning to explain to everybody what's right and what's not."



Osaka Inspired by Agassi’s Comeback as She Embraces Clay Court Grind 

Japan's Naomi Osaka serves against Italy's Sara Errani during the 2th round of the WTA Master 1000 Internazionali d'Italia tournament at Foro Italico in Rome, Wednesday May 7, 2025 (Alfredo Falcone/LaPresse via AP)
Japan's Naomi Osaka serves against Italy's Sara Errani during the 2th round of the WTA Master 1000 Internazionali d'Italia tournament at Foro Italico in Rome, Wednesday May 7, 2025 (Alfredo Falcone/LaPresse via AP)
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Osaka Inspired by Agassi’s Comeback as She Embraces Clay Court Grind 

Japan's Naomi Osaka serves against Italy's Sara Errani during the 2th round of the WTA Master 1000 Internazionali d'Italia tournament at Foro Italico in Rome, Wednesday May 7, 2025 (Alfredo Falcone/LaPresse via AP)
Japan's Naomi Osaka serves against Italy's Sara Errani during the 2th round of the WTA Master 1000 Internazionali d'Italia tournament at Foro Italico in Rome, Wednesday May 7, 2025 (Alfredo Falcone/LaPresse via AP)

Four times Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka said this year's clay court swing feels different as she enters it with momentum, having picked up wins and confidence in the recent weeks.

Osaka beat Slovenia's Kaja Juvan 6-1 7-5 last week in the final of the L'Open 35 de Saint-Malo, a WTA 125 tournament, to win her first clay-court title at any level. It was also her first WTA title since becoming a mother in July 2023.

"I wanted to rack up experience on clay. I didn't really have too much of an ego playing that tournament," Osaka told reporters after defeating wild card Sara Errani 6-2 6-3 in the first round of the Italian Open on Wednesday.

"I'm okay playing on Court 16 if I have to anyways. The reason I came back wasn't to play on center courts all the time, it's because I really enjoy the game."

Osaka said her decision to drop down to play in Saint-Malo was inspired by American great Andre Agassi, who rebuilt his career in the late 1990s by competing on the ATP Challenger Tour.

"I remember reading (Agassi's) book. There was a moment where... he was saying he was flipping his own scoreboards. Someone came and yelled, 'Image is everything!' I would say that section of the book crossed my mind more," she said.

The former world number one has often struggled on clay, having never gone past the third round at the French Open, where she is set to feature in the main draw later this month. Osaka plays ninth seed Paula Badosa in the Italian Open on Thursday.

"I feel like clay is very strength-reliant," Osaka said.

"It's something that I prioritized this year and I think it's working. I'm going to keep pushing forward that way. I'll let you know what happens in Roland Garros."