World No.1 Iga Swiatek has been forced to correct a journalist during her media conference ahead of Wimbledon.
Swiatek is the most dominant player on the WTA, having owned the top ranking for all but eight weeks since taking over following Ash Barty’s retirement in 2022.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Iga Swiatek corrects Wimbledon journo.
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She is fresh off her fourth French Open title and heads to the All England Club as the favourite for the crown.
And the 23-year-old will also be among the favourites to win gold when she represents Poland at the Olympics later this month.
However, despite all her achievements and previously speaking about her desire to play at the Paris Games, it appears a journalist failed to do his research.
Asking the first question of the press conference, the reporter asked: “You’re not playing the Olympics this time round, but do you hope to play in the future?”
A puzzled Swiatek took a moment before replying, “I’m not playing the Olympics? I’m playing for sure,” before suggesting the reporter had the “wrong player”.
Swiatek was praised for her class in handling the situation, while the journalist was slammed for not doing his research.
Psychologist Daria Abramowicz, who works with Swiatek, sarcastically tweeted: “Interesting? Who asked this brilliant question?”
“I don’t know how Iga managed to refrain from — at the very least — rolling her eyes when this was THE FIRST question in her pre-tournament press conference,” one fan said.
“He’s interviewing the No.1 female tennis player on the planet for goodness sake, do your research man!” Another added.
“The guy is asking the number 1 player and he is this much unprepared? He can’t be for real,” another said.
It’s likely the reporter was mixed up with fellow top-10 stars Aryna Sabalenka and Ons Jabeur, who are both not playing the Olympics.
Swiatek heads into Wimbledon primed to go past the quarter-finals for the first time in her career.
She will have to adapt quickly to her least-favourite surface after choosing to skip tune-up events and stay fresh for the year’s third grand slam.
The fate of several fancied players appears to have justified her decision.
Defending Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova sustained an injury after slipping during a match at last week’s Berlin Open, while Australian Open winner and world No.3 Sabalenka retired from the same tournament with a shoulder problem.
Jabeur’s campaign in Germany was cut short due to illness, and last year’s Wimbledon runner-up was joined in the sick bay by 2022 champion Elena Rybakina – leaving Coco Gauff as the only other top contender enjoying an incident-free run.
“I had these ideas, like doing a pre-season on grass so I can learn how to play there,” Swiatek said shortly after her Roland Garros triumph.
“Last year’s result was pretty nice. I feel like every year it’s easier for me to adapt to grass.
“The biggest progress I can make on grass now is using my serves that were better but also I don’t expect a lot.
“The balls are different. Overall tennis is different on grass. I’ll just see and I’ll work hard to play better there.”
Sabalenka had reached at least the semi-finals of six grand slams going back to 2022 before the ailing Belarusian was beaten in the last eight at Roland Garros.
She will represent a huge threat to Swiatek if fully fit.
One of the few players on the WTA tour who can match Sabalenka’s big hitting is Rybakina, and the Moscow-born Kazakh will welcome a return to the venue of her greatest triumph as she bids for a second grand slam title.
Jabeur will continue her quest to become the first Arab and African woman to claim a maiden major but conceded in Paris that US Open champion Gauff was emerging as the most likely to join Swiatek, Sabalenka and Rybakina in a women’s ‘big four’.
Gauff, who has not crossed the fourth round at Wimbledon, is another player eyeing a breakthrough at the July 1-14 major.
She warmed up with a run to the Berlin semis, where she lost to fellow American and eventual champion Jessica Pegula.
Local favourite and 2021 US Open champion Emma Raducanu has been handed a wildcard, with British hopes also resting on the shoulders of Katie Boulter — the partner of Aussie favourite Alex de Minaur — who successfully defended her Nottingham title this month.
– With AAP