"Good for Iga Swiatek for clapping back at the idiot" "Horrendous question" - Fans appalled as Pole asked about relative lack of success outside clay

Tennis fans haven't taken kindly to Iga Swiatek being questioned about her dominance on claycourts not translating to similar success on other surfaces. They criticized the journalist for posing such a question, raising doubts over its accuracy.

Coming off her maiden Madrid Open triumph, Swiatek extended her winning streak by clinching her third Italian Open title with a commanding 6-2, 6-3 win over Aryna Sabalenka in the blockbuster final.

Following her win, a journalist asked the World No. 1 why her dominance on clay courts didn't translate to the same success on other surfaces, especially as the surfaces are 'much more similar' in today's game.

Iga Swiatek, however, didn't share the same opinion, questioning whether the journalist had firsthand experience playing on each surface to back up their claim.

"You think the surfaces are the same?" she asked during her post-match press conference.

"Have you played on each of these surfaces?" Iga Swiatek questioned. "Have you played on each of these surfaces you're talking about?"

Pressed further about her relatively lower win rate on other surfaces, the 22-year-old stressed that there are significant differences between each of the surfaces.

"Because they're different. Because the surfaces are different," she said.

The journalist's line of questioning didn't sit well with fans, with many applauding the four-time Grand Slam champion for effectively shutting down the inquiry.

"Tennis is the only sport that does not reveal reporters names and who they work for at pressers. Good for Iga for clapping back at the idiot," one fan commented.

"LOOOOOL she said say that again but slowly," another fan chimed in.

"'Have you played on each of these surfaces you're talking about?' oh iga mothertek, don’t end them like that," said another.

Several fans also questioned the accuracy of the "horrendous" question, pointing out that Iga Swiatek has won more titles on hardcourts than clay.

"Mind u she has more titles on HARD COURT than CLAY," one fan posted.

"She actually has more hardcourt titles than clay, 12 to 9 and more 1000 on hardcourts as well, 6 to 4. She only lacks in grandslams," another fan wrote.

"I feel like there's been horrendous questions all week in Rome. Iga *has* won on hard courts, it may be fair to say she isn't head and shoulders the best player on hard courts like on clay (to me it depends on how fast the hard court is) but she has done quite well on it," said another.

Meanwhile, other fans questioned whether hardcourt specialists ever face similar scrutiny over their performances on clay.

"I love her answers lol. Also are any of the hard court specialists that are allergic to clay getting asked the same questions?" one fan questioned.

"Has any journalist ever asked this stupidity reversed to the hardcourters allergic to clay?" another fan asked.

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"I got to work on my grass games anyway... I feel pretty comfortable on clay" - Iga Swiatek entertains idea of 'Battle of Surfaces' against Aryna Sabalenka

Aryna Sabalenka (L) and Iga Swiatek

During her Italian Open campaign, Iga Swiatek entertained the idea of following in Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal's footsteps by squaring off against Aryna Sabalenka in a 'Battle of the Surfaces' showdown. The famous exhibition match between Federer and Nadal took place on a unique half-grass and half-clay court.

Swiatek voiced her support for the idea, suggesting that it would be great for the women's game. However, she also raised concerns about unpredictable bounce on the hybrid surface.

"You know, it’s about movement. But on the other hand, it’s, it’s about, you know, how the ball is going to bounce. So, yeah, it would be really great, you know, for this kind of event to happen, in the women’s game," Iga Swiatek said on the Tennis Channel.

The World No. 1 emphasized that it would be an "interesting" contest, expressing satisfaction with her prowess on claycourts while admitting that it would give her the opportunity to work on her grasscourt abilities.

"I think it would be interesting, but I got to work on my grass games anyway. Yeah, but I’m happy, you know, that we’re here, and, I feel pretty comfortable on clay so I’m using that for sure," she added.