"Poor Iga Swiatek, she did everything she could but you can't do it alone";"Brutal to watch" - Fans react as Italy beats Poland to reach BJK Cup final

Iga Swiatek's dream of clinching Poland's maiden title at the 2024 Billie Jean King Cup Finals was thwarted by Italy in the semifinals. Tennis fans commiserated with the World No. 2 for falling short despite her tremendous effort on the court.

Battling it out for a coveted spot in the final, Italy took a 1-0 lead in the contest after Lucia Bronzetti claimed a 6-4, 7-6(3) win over Magda Linette in the opener. However, Swiatek leveled the scores to force a doubles decider, fighting back from a set down to beat Jasmine Paolini 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 after a two-hour and 36-minute encounter.

Iga Swiatek returned to the court with Katarzyna Kawa to face Paolini and Sara Errani, the gold medalists at the Paris Olympics. Although Swiatek and Kawa held three set points in the opener and a commanding 5-1 lead in the second set, they failed to close out the win as the Italian pair displayed remarkable resilience to claim a 7-5, 7-5 victory and reach the final for the second year in a row.

Fans sympathized with Swiatek after Poland's exit, highlighting that the 23-year-old had delivered an exceptional performance while Katarzyna Kawa struggled in the crucial doubles battle.

"Poor Iga...she did everything she could but you can't do it alone," one fan commented.

"Iga tried so hard but just wasn't meant to be. Iga and Katarzyna really seemed to struggle to play at their best at the same time but tried really hard to carry each other. The italian couple just too strong. they have been playing whole season and know what to do under pressure," another fan chimed in.

"Im actually kinda angry lol those misses by kawa when they were serving out the 2nd set...horrible. Shouldve but linette or frech with iga, someone who can handle pressure," a fan remarked.

"Well once again… Iga Swiatek can’t win BJKC on her own… this is a team competition and impossible to carry all by yourself," said yet another.

Fans also asserted that the contest was "brutal" to watch, as Iga Swiatek and Kawa "choked" under pressure despite being in a winning position.

"What a choke.. 3 set points in the first, 5-1 up in the 2nd.. That gotta hurt," one fan posted.

"That was brutal to watch if you’re Poland…. 3 set points in the first, up 5-1 in the 2nd…. Wow," another fan wrote.

One fan even remarked that the World No. 2 was "cursed" when representing Poland, given her losses at the United Cup, Paris Olympics, and now the Billie Jean King Cup Finals.

"Iga playing for Poland must be cursed or something. United Cup and now here," a fan remarked.

"We’ll literally be reliving this at United Cup in a little over a month," another fan chimed in.

"The way Iga isnt allowed to experience joy playing for poland," said another.

Iga Swiatek: "That’s my last tournament of the season and playing for Poland is always amazing"

Iga Swiatek (Source: Getty)

Despite Poland's loss in the semifinals of the 2024 Billie Jean King Cup Finals, Iga Swiatek lived up to her promise of giving her all for her country. Speaking to the press after reaching the semifinals in Malaga, the World No. 2 had emphasized how much she cherished playing for Poland.

"That’s my last tournament of the season and playing for Poland is always amazing. Even if I’m gonna die on court, so I will do it, but give a hundred percent," Iga Swiatek said.

Swiatek will likely choose to remain behind in Malaga to witness Rafael Nadal in his farewell tournament at the Davis Cup Finals. The 23-year-old recently made the startling confession that she might stop watching tennis following Nadal's retirement since he was the only player she actively followed.

Subsequently, Iga Swiatek will kick off her offseason, enjoying some well-deserved time off. The World No. 2 recently revealed that her plans were simply to "do nothing" and just relax.