Tennis star verbally attacked by fan, gets boosted security: report

Five-time grand slam winner Iga Swiatek was reportedly given boosted security during the Miami Open this week after an “aggressive” fan verbally attacked her at the tournament.

The fan has previously sent abusive messages to the three-time reigning French Open winner online, BBC Sport reported, citing Swiatek’s representatives.

The reported incident occurred Saturday during a practice session, and it “[appeared] to be a direct transition from verbal aggression online to harassment in the real world,” Swiatek’s reps said.

“Constructive criticism is one thing, and threats, hate speech or even disturbance during training is another — this cannot be condoned,” a spokesperson for Swiatek said.

“We take the safety and security of all players and tournament attendees extremely seriously,” the Miami Open said in a statement. “We constantly evaluate any potential threats and take every measure to respond appropriately. To ensure the effectiveness of these efforts, we do not disclose the details of our security operations.”

The World Tennis Association added, “Player safety is our top priority. 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.”

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Swiatek recently returned from a one-month doping suspension in which she did not miss any grand slams.

The episode comes a little more than a month after a stalker was removed from a match being played by 2021 U.S. Open champion Emma Raducanu in Dubai.

At the Dubai Championships last month, Raducanu said, she could barely breathe and her eyes filled with tears when a stalker who had approached her earlier in the tournament was in the stands during her match.

The No. 2-seeded Swiatek lost to wild card Alexandra Eala in the quarterfinals Wednesday. Asked afterward whether the security situation disrupted her match preparation, Swiatek replied: “No, I wouldn’t say so.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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