WATCH: Tennis Superstar Furiously Booed After Smacking Ball at Ball Boy
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Polish tennis star Iga Swiatek drew harsh boos during her match Friday when she aggressively hit a ball toward a ball boy in frustration.
Swiatek faced Russian 17-year-old Mirra Andreeva in the semifinal round of the Indian Wells Open in Indian Wells, California. Andreeva stunned the tennis world when she defeated Swiatek, the world’s no. 1 player, in three sets.
In the third set, Swiatek went to the chair umpire to complain about the ball kids moving behind her as she awaited Andreeva’s serve. Seemingly still frustrated by the ball kids, she then hit the ball with her racket in the direction of one of them right after he attempted to pass it to her.
The kid, clearly stunned, simply froze in place with his hands raised. The act from Swiatek was immediately met with boos.
Esquire writer Gibson Johns argued that the aftermath of the incident showed a double standard between tennis great Serena Williams — who was regularly criticized for her outbursts — and other players.
“If Serena did this,” Johns said, “it would’ve created an inescapable international debate that lasted for weeks.”
In addition to others making similar posts, some said the move should’ve resulted in a disqualification or even a suspension.
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