Tennis Controversies of the Week: Iga Swiatek under fire for contentious comments about ATP players; Novak Djokovic points fingers at Indian Wells courts, and more

Polish tennis star Iga Swiatek sparked debate with her contentious comment about ATP players. In other news, Novak Djokovic called out court conditions following his second-round loss at the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells.

Meanwhile, Victoria Azarenka was involved in a heated exchange with the chair umpire following a contentious call during her second-round loss in Indian Wells. Linda Noskova targeted with disturbing death threat after Indian Wells 1R exit.

Also, Ben Shelton refused to engage with the interviewer following bizarre scenes at the Indian Wells exhibition.

On that note, here's a recap of the top tennis controversies from last week:

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Iga Swiatek faced backlash over her remarks on ATP players

Iga Swiatek faced criticism for saying she struggles to find entertaining ATP players to watch, admitting she hasn’t followed men's tennis much since Rafael Nadal retired. While praising rising star Joao Fonseca, she noted that she follows Carlos Alcaraz but rarely watches ATP matches.

"I think he’s [Fonseca] amazing. When Rafa retired I haven’t been watching much of ATP. I always follow Carlos Alcaraz. I had trouble finding other players who really struck me and I love their game. Then I watched João and I really enjoyed how he plays and moves… Because of him, I’ll maybe watch more of ATP," Swiatek said (via ESPN).

Iga Swiatek is currently defending her title at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells. The second seed defeated Caroline Garcia and Dayana Yastremska to reach the Round of 16, where she will take on 15th-seed Karolina Muchova. The winner of this match will face either 18th-seed Marta Kostyuk or the victor between eighth-seed Zheng Qinwen and Lulu Sun.

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Tennis legend Novak Djokovic blamed Indian Wells courts after shock 2R exit

In Picture: Novak Djokovic during the 2025 Australian Open (Source: Getty)

Novak Djokovic blamed the court conditions for his shock 2-6, 6-3, 1-6 loss to Botic van de Zandschulp in the BNP Paribas Open second round.

In his post-match press conference, the five-time singles champion lamented his performance, noting that it didn’t reflect the strong form he had in practice. The Serbian tennis star also cited the court’s bounce as a key factor that disrupted his flow and led to his defeat.

"Just a bad day in the office, I guess, for me. I regret for the level of tennis, considering how I practice these days. To be honest, the difference between the center court and the other courts is immense. Ball is bouncing on the center courts higher than some of the highest clay courts. Just struggled a lot with that. Couldn't find the rhythm," the Serb said.

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Victoria Azarenka clashed with umpire after disputed call in the Indian Wells 2R loss

Victoria Azarenka was enraged by the electronic line-calling system during her 3-6, 4-6 loss to eighth seed Zheng Qinwen in the BNP Paribas Open second round. At 4-4, 30-30 in the second set, she believed a lob had landed out, but it was called in.

Shocked, the Belarusian tennis star protested to chair umpire Marija Cicak, who insisted the system’s call stood. Furious, Azarenka lashed out, calling it a “sh**ty f***** system," earning a code violation.

Watch the video here:

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Linda Noskova received death threat after early Indian Wells exit

Linda Noskova received a shocking NSFW death threat after her 1-6, 4-6 first-round loss to Lulu Sun at the BNP Paribas Open. Following her defeat, Noskova took to Instagram to expose an anonymous user who sent a violent threat against her and her family. The message read:

"I K**L YOU AND YOU FAMILY B***H!"

The Czech tennis star sarcastically reacted by sharing the message along with a heart hands emoji.

Linda Noskova's story of the threat she received - Source: via @lindynoskova on Instagram

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Ben Shelton snubbed interviewer after the latter's odd antics at Indian Wells exhibition

At the Eisenhower Cup exhibition ahead of the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells, Ben Shelton snubbed the on-court interviewer after he made an odd noise before handing him the mic. Playing alongside Emma Navarro against Alex de Minaur and Katie Boulter in the first round, Shelton was visibly put off by the incident.

"Someone else gotta grab the mic, I'm not talking to you," Shelton said.

Navarro quickly diffused the situation by choosing to serve, and despite his frustration, Shelton delivered a strong performance to win the first round.

Ben Shelton is seeded 11th at the ongoing BNP Paribas Open, where he received a bye into the second round. The American tennis star defeated Mariano Navone 6-3, 6-2 to advance to the second round, where he will take on 22nd seed Karen Khachanov on March 10, 2025. The winner of this match will face either Matteo Arnaldi or 32nd seed Brandon Nakashima in the Round of 16.