Favorite at the French Open – “Disrespectful”: Swiatek doesn’t want to talk about “her bakery” – sport

The fact that the world number 1 is distributing rows of “bagels” and “breadsticks” is spreading wildly on the Internet. Not at all to Iga Swiatek’s delight.

There’s one place where there’s nothing worse than being served a bagel, no matter how hungry you are: on tennis courts. Because of its shape, the yeast dough biscuit jokingly stands for the zero that reveals itself to the player on the scoreboard who has lost a set without a single game win. If at least one game is won, one speaks of one of the “1”-like “breadsticks” – Grissini.

To stay with this image: Iga Swiatek is currently distributing more “pastries” than an over-motivated apprentice baker during the probationary period. At the French Open, she only gave up a total of eight games in three games. Nine opponents have lost 6-0 against the Pole this season.

This dominance has not gone unnoticed on social media either. Joking memes are circulating under the name “Iga’s Bakery” that illustrate Swiatek’s uncanny strength through bagels and breadsticks. A Twitter account last year dealt with simply confirming or negating Swiatek’s “Yes” or “No” after each match whether the world number 1 had won sets to zero (or one) again.

Another account illustrated on a world map that Swiatek had “opened bakeries” in 22 countries on 4 continents in 2022.

After the 22-year-old swept Xinyu Wang 6-0, 6-0 in the second round in just 51 minutes on Saturday, she was asked about “her bakeries” at the media conference. Then the smile froze on Swiatek’s lips. “I really don’t want to talk about it,” she said. “I understand why people do it, it’s fun and tennis is entertainment.”

But she considers it disrespectful because: “You don’t see behind the scenes. Sometimes games like this aren’t easy, sometimes it’s not easy for the opponent either.”

It can be assumed that it will also be complicated for Swiatek’s next opponent. In the round of 16, the three-time major champion competes with Lesia Tsurenko. Swiatek met the Ukrainian in Rome in May. She beat Tsurenko 6-2 and – of course – 6-0.