United Cup: Iga Swiatek Faces Backlash Over Medical Timeout Controversy in Tense Match Against Katie Boulter

Controversies, controversies, and more controversies! If there’s one thing tennis courts never fail to serve up—aside from jaw-dropping rallies—it’s a good dose of drama. And with the new season heating up, it seems the action isn’t just limited to the game. This time, stealing the spotlight is none other than WTA giant Iga Swiatek, whose mid-match decision against Katie Boulter at the United Cup has set the tennis world buzzing. The reason for the uproar? A medical timeout—and let’s just say, it didn’t sit well with fans.
The Polish tennis sensation engaged in a fierce battle against Britain’s Katie Boulter in a nearly 3-hour marathon at the United Cup. Despite losing the first set, Swiatek managed to dominate the show and left her opponent baffled 6-7(3), 6-1, 6-4. But besides the thrilling encounter that unfolded in Sydney, another crucial incident from the match is gaining limelight and it’s Swiatek’s decision to opt for a medical timeout in the third set when she was trailing 2-1.
Swiatek left the court for quite some time and returned with her thigh heavily strapped. Soon after her return, she demonstrated an A-game outshining Boulter in an epic encounter. When quizzed during the post-match interview, if the Medical timeout helped her in any way, the star player said, “I didn’t take medical timeout to throw Katie off her game. I did it because I had to and I didn’t feel well. But I took some, you know, painkillers, and they started working pretty quickly. I was able to move a bit better.” However, she acknowledged that the Brit looked a little distracted soon after Swiatek returned to the courts.
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“I felt that she got distracted a bit. She missed some shots right after the break, but it wasn’t my intention, obviously, like, I don’t do these kind of things to do it tactically. It was just that I needed it. So yeah,” Iga Swiatek added. However, this move from the star player is not going well with the fans. Several users took to their social media handles claiming that Swiatek took the break deliberately to break her opponent’s momentum. And despite Swiatek’s admission, the chorus against her is continuously growing.
Iga Swiatek finds herself in hot waters over a medical timeout
Taking to X, a user lashed out at Iga Swiatek and questioned, “How come every time Iga Swiatek loses a set or a serve she needs an extended toilet break or medical timeout. Second time this match, it’s blatant gamesmanship.” Swiatek has often found herself in controversies for her extended break during matches. Interestingly, many of these breaks have come out when the star player has found herself trailing, and one such incident took place at the US Open in 2022.
During her match against Aryna Sabalenka in the semifinals Swiatek was trailing 6-3. She took a break, came back energized, and defeated the Belarusian player in three sets. Making a statement about her break back then, Swiatek remarked, “I tried to use that time to really try to think about what to change and do it in a good way.” Now, with a similar gesture unfolding yet again, fans are not going easy on her.
Responding to the incident, another user commented, “These extended tactical breaks for the loser of a set are a disgrace to the sport and go against all the values of tennis. How are they even allowed?” Remember, Swiatek has found herself in difficult situations time and again for her breaks. This fact was also highlighted by former pro-Coco Vandeweghe who lashed out after Swiatek’s match against Mirra Andreeva at Cincinnati. “It’s been spoken about, Iga’s tactic of going to the bathroom, changing her kit, taking her time, ALWAYS after losing a set,” she had said. Vandeweghe further claimed that she uses this tactic to break her opponents’ momentum. And although her latest break was due to medical reasons, fans are not failing to criticize the Polish star, as more people joined the fray.
“Man she is fraud plus she felt on dope test just f**king fraud and 0 sportstman ship always late when she have to recive serve and ppl praise her like she a saint,” wrote another user. While Boulter has not made a statement so far, Swiatek has also faced criticism for previously overtaking mid-match breaks from her opponents. When Swiatek took a break against Yulia Putintseva during Wimbledon, the Kazhak player questioned the rule. “I was not annoyed, but she took a lot of time off the court, I don’t know what the rules are,” she had said. Meanwhile, there were certain voices that supported the Polish player.
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Siding with Swiatek, a user wrote, “This is her first MTO in one and a half years.” Remember, it was at the Italian Open in 2023 when Swiatek took a medical timeout while playing against Elena Rybakina at the Italian Open. But this aspect has been often neglected due to her extended toilet breaks during matches, and it seems to have piled up for fans.
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Expressing disappointment, yet another user wrote, “This is her first MTO in one and a half years.” Now, as the tournament and eventually the season progresses, it would be interesting to see if Swiatek will manage to reduce her mid-match breaks and soften the criticisms against herself.