Polish tennis star Iga Swiatek has been very vocal in her support of Ukraine in its war against Russia. Swaitek had taken to wearing the colors of the Ukrainian flag on her cap during matches. However, she raised a lot of speculation when she suddenly stopped wearing it. And now, the world number one has finally opened up about the heartbreaking reason behind it.
Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, and its fallout has been brutal. From Ukrainian players refusing to shake hands to swapping rackets for military equipment, tennis has also felt its effects. In the midst of this, Swiatek has been a staunch supporter of Ukraine.
Unfortunately, many did not approve of the optics of her support. Iga recently revealed the harsh comments that were directed her way, and she finally stopped wearing the ribbon in October.
The world number one confessed that she was stunned when people judged her for it. Moreover, a lot of fans back in Poland perceived her as “not Polish” anymore
“Recently there has been a lot of hate and a lot of comments that simply judged me. People were even saying that I am not Polish. I think it started to generate more negative emotions than positive reactions and we decided that the ribbon wasn’t the best idea anymore,” she said (via Tennis World USA).
Iga Swiatek had good intentions when she began wearing the ribbon. She wanted to show that she remembered Ukrainians during this difficult time. The Pole did more than just wear the ribbon, though, as she organized a charity event in Krakow for Ukraine.
Iga Swiatek organized a charity event
The world number one player organized a charity event to raise donations for Ukraine. She hosted the Iga Swiatek & Friends for Ukraine at Krakow’s Tauron Arena, and it was a massive success.
Popular Ukrainian tennis star Elina Svitolina was also present at the event. Svitolina made waves when she refused to shake hands with Russian and Belarussian players. Besides Svitolina, Sergiy Stakhovsky and soccer star Andriy Shevchenko also attended the event.
🇵🇱🇺🇦To był absolutnie wyjątkowy dzień. Potrzebuję chwili na zebranie myśli, ale póki co chcę Wam z tego miejsca podziękować za to, że byliście z nami.
🇵🇱🇺🇦It’s been absolutely unforgetable day. I still need to wrap my mind around it and for now I just want to thank you all. pic.twitter.com/BzTgqQSe4Q
— Iga Świątek (@iga_swiatek) July 23, 2022
Due to the Pole’s efforts, the charity match managed to raise nearly $4600,000 for war relief. The amount was then donated to UNICEF Polska, United 24, and the Elina Svitolina Foundation.
Iga Swiatek is one of the best players on the circuit at present. She has proven herself to be a leader time and time again and has stayed true to her words.