"I hope this gentleman did not "cry" later, that I did not answer him seriously"- Iga Swiatek on rejecting fan's marriage proposal at San Diego Open

Iga Swiatek defeated Donna Vekic in the San Diego Open final to win her eighth title of 2022. She also received something a little more unexpected from one of her fans while giving her speech.

The packed stadium had a good laugh when a man in the audience screamed something to the 21-year-old after she had taken her trophy. He allegedly shouted, "Iga, will you marry me?" in Polish, according to Twitter, to which the tennis player responded brilliantly.

She frowned at first at the awkward question, but then chuckled and said:

"I’m not going to repeat what Steffi Graf said, but you probably know what she said."

In a recent interview with Sport.pl, the three-time Grand Slam champion was questioned about the incident. She said that she had every right to disregard the proposal because it wasn't serious and hoped that the man wouldn't "cry" later because she didn't provide him with a clear answer.

"I think, just like the people who say it, I have the right not to take it seriously. I hope that this gentleman did not later 'cry,' that I did not answer him seriously, that is, 'yes' or 'no,'" Iga Swiatek said.

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"The night after the final was very hard, I got such cramps at night that I could not sleep at all" - Iga Swiatek

Iga Swiatek poses with the 2022 US Open trophy.

Iga Swiatek defeated Tunisia's Ons Jabeur in straight sets to win the 2022 US Open women's singles title. The 21-year-old claimed her maiden New York Major title and third overall with a 6-2, 7-6(5) victory at the Arthur Ashe Stadium.

The World No.1, however, stated in the same interview that the night following the US Open title match was really difficult for her since she suffered from severe leg cramps and was unable to sleep at all.

"I got such cramps at night that I could not sleep at all. In the course of such a tournament there is a lot of tension and only after all a person feels how difficult it was. This happens when the adrenaline has passed, when the arousal has passed, the attitude that you have to play, fight. The night after the final was very hard," she said.

Swiatek stated that it was one of the most difficult times of the year for her and that the post-season holidays were the only thing that would help her feel "regenerated."

"I survived and everything is fine, but without a doubt it was one of the most difficult moments this year. And I think that only the post-season holidays will make me feel regenerated," she added.