Australian Open crowd boo Iga Swiatek over controversial coffee statement (Watch Video)

Iga Swiatek will face Emma Raducanu in the third-round.

Iga Swiatek delivered another brilliant performance at the iconic Rod Laver Arena in the second round to beat Rebecca Šramková at Australian Open 2025. Such was the Pole’s dominance, that the Slovak could scalp just three games during the course of the contest. With this win, Swiatek keeps her hopes of winning her maiden Grand Slam in Melbourne alive.

While the match seemed to be a formality, things spiced up after the encounter ended. During the post-match press conference, in an interview with Jelena Dokic, the current world number two was asked about her favourite coffee and had to choose between Melbourne and Sydney.

The five-time French Open winner preferred Sydney’s coffee over Melbourne, prompting a chorus of boos to echo through the stadium following her remark. “I gotta say, in Sydney I found better coffee shops,” Swiatek admitted, causing an uproar among the Melbourne fans.

Quickly realizing the backlash, the Polish tried to retreat her statement and pacify the crowd, “But no, no, no–guys, the thing is that also it’s not easy for me to fall asleep, so during a Grand Slam, my coffee level needs to be a bit lower. I’m only drinking it before the match, so I didn’t do the right research,” she explained.

Iga Swiatek says she found better coffee shops in Sydney than in Melbourne……immediate LOUD boos from the crowd lmao pic.twitter.com/AG7wriiqsU

— Bastien Fachan (@BastienFachan) January 16, 2025

“So sorry for my answer … overall, in Australia, I think it’s hard to get the wrong coffee. Every coffee shop keeps, like, a really great quality, and my order will always be flat white on oat milk”, Swiatek added in a bid to please the Melbourne crowd.

This claim touched on the long-standing rivalry between the two cities. The Victorian capital takes great pride in its coffee culture, often boasting superiority over Sydney regarding quality brews. Swiatek’s remark instantly drew boos from the passionate Melbourne crowd. However, after her clarification, the Pole received a round of applause.

Also Read: Iga Swiatek vs Emma Raducanu prediction, betting tips & odds, head-to-head, preview

Having said that, Swiatek could find it challenging to have the crowd on her side in the third round, when she will face 2021 US Open Champion, Emma Raducanu. The young British sensation is a crowd-favourite and the Melbourne fans are expected to come out in large numbers and rally behind Raducanu.

This third-round could be a feisty one. While Swiatek heads into this battle as the favourite, the Australian Open has had no shortage of drama and upsets, including those of fifth seeds Daniil Medvedev and Qinwen Zheng.

Hours later, No. #4 seed Jasmine Paolini too gave an answer the crowd didn’t like, but she seems to have gotten away with it more than Swiatek did. These incidents are reminiscent of Carlos Alcaraz’s Wimbledon experience, where his support for Spain over England in a football match drew a negative response from the audience.

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