"Not even making an effort to act like you care" - Iga Swiatek's psychologist comes under fire from fans for using phone during Pole's Japan Open exit

Iga Swiatek faced an unexpected early exit at the 2023 Japan Open, losing to Veronika Kudermetova in the quarterfinals on Friday.

The World No. 2 was unbeaten against the Russian coming into the clash, having won all four of their previous encounters in straight sets. In Tokyo, however, Swiatek fell 2-6, 6-2, 4-6.

During the match, tennis fans noticed that the Pole's psychiatrist, Daria Abramowicz, was using her phone at one point. Abramowicz has been a staple of the four-time Grand Slam champion's team for a while now and routinely accompanies her to tournaments.

In this instance, fans were not pleased with her actions, as they wondered why she was acting like she did not even care about the outcome of the match instead of trying to encourage Swiatek.

Some admitted that it might have been a request from the 22-year-old herself, saying she might have prefered to have a quiet atmosphere during the clash. Regardless, many took to social media to make their disappointment known.

Some extended their complaints to the whole of Iga Swiatek's entourage, lamenting why they were being "useless" and doing nothing to pump the World No. 2 up while she was struggling on the court.

"I’m sorry but this is pissing me off. idk if iga requests this but when your player is down why are you on your phone and looking away when you could be trying to cheer her up. not even making an effort to act like you care," one fan said.

"Well I hope she see this. You have to support the players you work with, you need to DO SOMETHING, there’s no way you are so damn useless and only stay with Iga for what?" another fan said.

Here are a few more reactions from fans:

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"I tried to just believe that I can beat her" - Veronika Kudermetova after beating Iga Swiatek at the Japan Open

2023 US Open - Day 7

Speaking in her on-court interview after finally beating Iga Swiatek in her fifth attempt, Veronika Kudermetova was ecstatic, stating that she just tried to believe that she could beat the World No. 2.

The Russian also pointed out that she tried to stay in rallies with the Pole this time instead of just trying to ace her with every serve.

"I tried to just believe that I can beat her. Today it happened. I’m really happy that I managed to switch [the head-to-head] and win one match. In the last game, I just focused on playing the point. I don’t need to hit aces. I think that was the key. I was ready to play the rally, not just finish with the serve," Veronika Kudermetova said.

Up next, Kudermetova will take on Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in the semifinals of the Japan Open on Saturday.