"Your opinion is not gospel" - Tennis fans storm to Iga Swiatek's defense after Rennae Stubbs' podcast co-host says World No. 1 is 'not fun to watch'

Iga Swiatek's fans have come to her defense after The Rennae Stubbs Tennis Podcast co-host and Racquet co-founder Caitlin Thompson opined that the World No. 1 is "not fun to watch" on the court. Thompson expressed her views in a discussion with Stubbs herself, on the latest episode of their podcast.

While speaking about Swiatek's Stuttgart victory over the weekend, Thompson reflected on a recent comparison made between her and former World No. 1 Justine Henin. She claimed that the difference between the two players is that Henin was 'fun to watch' while Swiatek is not as much.

"Is Iga Swiatek this generation's Justine Henin? And Justine Henin was my favorite player of all time. The difference is that Henin was fun to watch and I don't think Iga is that fun to watch. She's okay," Thompson said on the Rennae Stubbs Tennis Podcast.

Several fans responded to that quickly, criticizing Thompson for her comments.

"Newsflash to all self important tennis people: just because u personally don’t enjoy watching someone play, doesn’t make them “not fun to watch”. your opinion is not gospel, please have some humility," a fan wrote on Twitter.

Another fan expressed their belief that Iga Swiatek and Carlos Alcaraz are the two most entertaining players to watch currently.

"I often agree with @caitlin_thomps on things tennis, but on this I strongly disagree; I find Iga to be one of the two most fun to watch current players (the other is Alcaraz). Iga’s game is dynamic and smart, kinetic and creative, her athletic skills unmatched," read another tweet.

Here are a few more reactions from fans to Caitlin Thompson's comments on Iga Swiatek's game:

After winning the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart, Swiatek is bidding to win her maiden Madrid Open title this week.

Iga Swiatek speaks about her focus areas at Madrid Open

Iga Swiatek competes at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix Stuttgart 2023.

The 2023 Madrid Open is only the second time that Iga Swiatek will compete at the WTA 1000 tournament in Madrid. She missed the tournament last year due to workload management in the build-up to the French Open.

Now that she is set to play right after winning the Stuttgart title in indoor clay-court conditions, Swiatek feels she will need to focus on getting used to the altitude of the outdoor clay courts in Madrid.

"I don't have a lot of experience here, but the main thing I think it's having control in the altitude. That's what I'm going to focus on," Iga Swiatek said in a press conference ahead of her first match.

Swiatek will face either Julia Grabher or Viktoriya Tomova in her tournament opener later this week.