Iga Swiatek, supusă unor „amenințări” și „discursului instigator la ură” din partea spectatorului de la Miami Open .

CNN
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Iga Świątek was targeted with “threats” and “hate speech” from a spectator at the Miami Open and has been given extra security for the tournament, her spokesperson told CNN Sports.

“Security is a top priority,” the spokesperson for the world No. 2 said on Thursday in an email to CNN. “We monitor the network to catch these types of issues. Constructive criticism is one thing, and threats, hate speech or even disturbance during training is another – this cannot be condoned.

“We reported the matter to the tournament organizer, as well as to the WTA (we did that last weekend), which reacted immediately and took additional precautions, such as additional security, for which we are very grateful.”

Five-time major champion Świątek, who was looking to win her second title at the Miami Open, was stunned by Filipino player Alexandra Eala in the quarterfinals on Thursday. Eala, advancing to the semifinals with a 6-2, 7-5 win, has beaten three grand slam champions – Jelena Ostapenko, Madison Keys and Świątek – in her dream run in Florida as a wild card.

The incident with the spectator comes a month after a man was ejected from the Dubai Tennis Championships for displaying what the WTA, the governing body of women’s tennis, described as “fixated behavior” toward Great Britain’s Emma Raducanu.

Addressing the situation at the Miami Open, the WTA said that player safety is a “top priority,” adding: “The WTA works closely with tournaments and their security teams on best practices for international sporting events to ensure the safety and well-being of all participants.

“There are comprehensive security protocols in place to make sure that any incidents are handled promptly and effectively. The details of these are not something we discuss publicly, but we are steadfast in our commitment to maintaining a safe environment for players and everyone attending one of our events.”