Iga Swiatek has reportedly rejected the new test kits presented to her by her clothing sponsors On, the Roger Federer-backed sports apparel brand.
Iga Swiatek was among the first and biggest stars to sign with On when she collaborated with the brand in March 2023. She was joined by American talent Ben Shelton and Brazilian prodigy Joao Fonseca in the On's roster. Since linking with On, Swiatek and others have been fashioning either a black kit with hot pink stripes or a white kit with hot pink stripes.
The kit design has not changed in over a year, and according to reports from French media group Canal+, the On team gave Iga Swiatek a new designer collection to test. While it is not clear if the World No. 1 explicitly rejected the latest designs, it is being reported that she asked On for more designs to try.
Tennis fans slammed the brand for providing Iga Swiatek with inadequate options and not changing her kit for a long time, while a few asked for the brand to treat the world's best player more respectfully.
"Seriously! She is the number 1 player , is beautiful and has been wearing the same kit forever. On is failing," a fan stated on X.
"Oh they were thinking they can get away with some shitty stuff, @on_running stop humiliating yourself, she is the world nr 1, she has her standards high," a fan said.
"You need to be mindful of why you were invited into Iga’s section and give that girl some good kits IMMEDIATELY @on_running," commented another fan.
Some fans suggested that Swiatek got tired of wearing the same old kit and thanked the Pole for saving them from watching her in another poorly designed dress.
"Phewwwww she saved us from humiliation huh," a fan wrote.
"Congratulations On she’s finally sick of your shit," commented a fan.
"I can't imagine what they showed her," said another fan.
Fans also wondered why a big name like On could not come up with a suitable design.
"Im crying this company simply does not know how to make a tennis kit," another fan quipped.
Another fan said, "I just want to know how bad it had to be for her to refuse to wear it on court because…"
Iga Swiatek is currently playing at the 2024 Madrid Open
Iga Swiatek is currently competing at the 2024 Madrid Open as the No. 1 seed. She reached the final of the WTA 1000 tournament last year, losing the title to Aryna Sabalenka. This year, she has once again gotten close to glory in the Spanish capital and navigated her way to the semifinals.
Swiatek faced little resistance while outsing Wang Xiyu, Sorana Cirstea, and Sara Sorribes Tormo to reach the quarterfinal. Beatriz Haddad Maia gave the Pole a tough fight in the last eight contest and even managed to take a set off of the four-time Grand Slam champion.
However, the 22-year-old persevered and defeated the Brazilian in three sets. She will next face Madison Keys in the semifinals on April 2. In the other semifinal, defending champion Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina will face off against each other.