“Carlos Alcaraz your time has come" "Rigging for Iga Swiatek" - Fans react to Jessica Pegula's 'slow court' complaints after Australian Open exit

Tennis fans became optimistic about Carlos Alcaraz and Iga Swiatek's chances of winning the 2025 Australian after Jessica Pegula complained about slow courts at the tournament. Pegula was critical of the court conditions after her campaign ended in the third round when Olga Danilovic eliminated her.

Pegula was seeded seventh seed at the Melbourne Major and began her campaign by triumphing over wild card Maya Joint and Elise Mertens in the first and second rounds, respectively, before losing to Danilovic.

During the post-match press conference, Jessica Pegula expressed her discontent with the sluggish pace of the courts, likening them to clay surfaces.

“Conditions were so slow, it was slower than like the clay courts. It felt like the balls are so heavy and that totally I think, favoured her [Olga Danilovic] for sure. It’s really tough . It’s not even the same tournament from like my first round match playing on Cain [John Cain Arena] during the day, it's fast. It’s not even remotely the same. So I mean, it’s tough, everyone has to deal with it,” Pegula said.

Pegula's remarks delighted Carlos Alcaraz and Iga Swiatek's fans, who view the slower courts as a potential advantage for the two players in their quest for a maiden Australian Open title. The fans took to social media to share their excitement and also expressed their opinions on the same

One fan suggested that the conditions could favor Carlos Alcaraz's chances of winning his first Australian Open title.

“Carlos your time has come," a fan posted.

However, some fans voiced concerns, speculating that the tournament organizers may have "rigged" the playing conditions to benefit Iga Swiatek to win the Grand Slam.

“Literally rigging conditions for iga lmao," a fan wrote.

“Establishment doing everything possible for iga to win something outside clay," a fan posted.

“Oh 😏 ," a fan wrote.

Here are some other fan reactions:

“Maybe that explains why Jannik [Sinner] and Nole [Novak Djokovic] are struggling more than Carlos," a fan posted.

“Carlos Alcaraz, this is your CHANCE," a fan wrote.

“Iga Natalia Swiatek and Carlos Alcaraz Garfia better lock in it’s your chance," a fan posted.

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Iga Swiatek & Carlos Alcaraz have advanced to the third and fourth rounds, respectively, at the Australian Open 2025

Carlos Alcaraz & Iga Swiatek at the 2023 US Open [Image Source: Getty Images]

Iga Swiatek, seeded second at the 2025 Australian Open, kicked off her campaign by defeating Katerina Siniakova 6-3, 6-4 and Rebecca Sramkova 6-0, 6-2 in the first and second rounds, respectively.

Swiatek will face Emma Raducanu in the third round of the year's first Grand Slam. The two players have met three times on the WTA Tour, with the Pole emerging victorious in all three encounters. Their most recent clash was in the quarterfinals of the 2024 Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart, where Swiatek secured a 7-6(2), 6-3 win.

On the other hand, Carlos Alcaraz, seeded third at the 2025 Australian Open, has also been in fine form, defeating Alexander Shevchenko 6-1, 7-5, 6-1, Yoshihito Nishioka 6-0, 6-1, 6-4 and Nuno Borges 6-2, 6-4, 6-7(3), 6-2 in the first three rounds, respectively.

Alcaraz will next face 15th seed Jack Draper in the fourth round. The Spaniard and Draper have met three times on the ATP Tour, with Alcaraz winning two of those matches. Their most recent encounter was in the second round of the 2024 Cinch Championships at Queens Club, where Draper emerged victorious with a 7-6(3), 6-3 win.