Some things are better left unsaid, right?
During a recent post-match interview, Polish tennis player Iga Swiatek found herself in a bit of an awkward situation when the interviewer suggested she could “spew” after defeating Elena Rybakina in straight sets to reach the Cincinnati Open Finals.
Swiatek, 24, looked up at the sky, interrupting her thoughts about her upcoming match against Jasmine Paolini. “Is that rain?” she asked.
The interviewer quickly joked back about the possibility of rain, mentioning something about it being a problem if he were to “spit” while asking questions.
Swiatek laughed lightly at the comment and offered a sincere apology for her momentary pause during the interview.
“I thought I heard something and assumed it was thunder,” she explained. “Oh wait, sorry—that’s just my heart.” The interviewer chimed in, clarifying it was probably an airplane overhead.
On August 18, 2025, after successfully defeating Paolini, ranked seventh, 7-5, 6-4, Swiatek captured her first Cincinnati title, breaking a pattern from her previous six appearances where she couldn’t make it past the semifinals. Notably, she had lost to Coco Gauff in 2023 and Aryna Sabalenka the following year.
Throughout this impressive run leading into the US Open, Swiatek didn’t drop a single set. Over the last two years, both male and female champions of the Cincinnati Open have gone on to win the final Grand Slam of the year.
Swiatek herself won the US Open Singles title in 2022, and just last month, she celebrated her first Wimbledon victory after impressively defeating Amanda Anisimova.
