Iga Swiatek’s run at the Cincinnati Masters ended in the semifinals after her straight-set loss to Aryna Sabalenka. Her grueling two-hour, 39-minute battle against Mirra Andreeva in the quarterfinals seemed to have exhausted her and affected her performance in the semifinals. However, her behavior during that marathon battle irked Coco Vandeweghe.

The former star criticised the world No. 1 on the Tennis Channel for her tactics during her hard-fought win over Andreeva. She accused Swiatek of deliberately taking unnecessary breaks when her opponent had the advantage. She said:

“It’s been talked about, about Iga’s tactics of going to the bathroom, changing her equipment, taking her time, ALWAYS after she loses a set… If I was still playing, I would definitely be very aware of it… she tries to disrupt my rhythm.”

As Vandeweghe noted, this was not the first time the Olympic bronze medalist was accused of underhanded tactics. During her match at Wimbledon against Yulia Putintseva, Iga took longer breaks, which annoyed her opponent. She spoke out about this in her post-match interview, saying:

Swiatek could argue that she was within her rights to take a bathroom break and that there was nothing unsportsmanlike about it, but this is not the only deceptive tactic she is said to have used to throw her opponents off track.

Not Iga Swiatek’s first rodeo with criticism of her sportsmanship

The 23-year-old was also criticized for another controversial move. She was accused of stopping just before serving and extending her racket, causing her opponents to freeze.

This little trick angered fans, analysts and former players alike, and it’s a big reason why, despite being No. 1 in the world, she’s not exactly the most popular player on tour.

Swiatek is an exceptional player and deserves to be the highest ranked player in the world. However, the Polish superstar’s tactical approach, which often borders on unsportsmanlike conduct, has damaged her reputation.