Swiatek and Rybakina's team were moulted by fans, and Sabalenka's actions were condemned

Recently, there has been a lot of turmoil in the tennis world. Swiatek and Rybakina's coaching staff were besieged by fans as the pair went out at the Madrid Open, with Swiatek being swept by Gauff in the semifinals and Rybakina eliminated in the third round. Swiatek also had to confront a series of ridiculous questions in her post-match press conference; Sabalenka, on the other hand, was criticized for allegedly "using dishonorable means" in the quarterfinals.

Here's a quick recap of some of the biggest controversies in tennis over the past week:

Sabalenka was denounced for sportsmanship problems in the match against Kostyuk

In the quarterfinals of the 2025 Madrid Open, world No. 1 Sabalenka faced Kostyuk in a fierce battle. She saved a set point to win the first set, but was dragged into a tie-break after squandering match points in the second set.

When the tie-break was 4-5 and it was Sabalenka's turn to serve, it started to rain in the sky. She walked to the referee after serving the first ball, saying that she could not continue the game. However, the referee decided that the rain was not enough to stop the match and asked her to continue. Sabalenka returned to her serve and stopped her serve, saying that she couldn't see clearly due to the rain and returned to her seat. Despite Kostyuk's displeasure, the referee took Sabalenka's advice.

Kostyuk theorized with the referee that Sabalenka would have at least completed this point of serve, but failed to do so. Sabalenka's move sparked a lot of controversy, with some fans criticizing her for unilaterally suspending the match, while others supported her. After the resumption of the match, Sabalenka regained a chance to serve, but lost the point and fell behind 4-6. However, she saved three set points in a row to win the match 7-6(4) 7-6(7) and went all the way to the title.

Coach Rybakina was criticized again for his apprentice's early exit

Rybakina reached the semi-finals of Madrid last year, but this year she was eliminated in straight sets by Svitolina in the third round. Her coach Vukov, who had previously been banned by the WTA for allegedly abusing players, was able to continue working with the Kazakh despite the poor reviews. Now that Rybakina is out early, he has once again been the subject of criticism from fans, who are believed to have caused the former Wimbledon champion to stop.

Despite the criticism, Rybakina supported Vukov. She denied any allegations of abuse and said Vukov had never misbehaved her.

Swiatek angrily told reporters: Don't make unfair comparisons between the ATP and the WTA

Swiatek came back from behind to beat Keith in the quarterfinals of the Madrid Open. However, at the post-match press conference, a reporter's question ruined her good mood. The reporter asked her: "Now that the ATP Tour is more and more like the WTA Tour, what do you think of this comparison?" The tone is derogatory.

Swiatek was puzzled by this and demanded an explanation from the journalist, but after listening to the explanation, he became even more confused and quickly ended the topic. "I don't know what they mean, can you be more specific?" Swiatek replied with a confused expression. The journalist added: "It's that the ATP is more open now, like the WTA Tour...... Is this a good thing or a bad thing? ”

Swiatek responded: "I don't know...... Didn't it last year that Yannick (Sinner) and Carlos (Alcaraz) won all the Grand Slams? I don't understand...... I don't have much to say. I'm too stupid to answer this question. Swiatek's response garnered a lot of support online, with many fans questioning when the journalists would be duly punished in the face of such disrespectful questions.

After Swiatek's crushing defeat to Gauff, the team's psychologists were questioned

Swiatek's run to an abrupt end at the Madrid Open ended with a 1-6 1-6 defeat to Gauff in the semi-finals. It was her third straight set-back defeat to the American rival, her most painful defeat, and her first defeat to her younger foe on clay.

Fans believe that Swiatek's current form is declining, and psychologist Daria Abramovich is to blame. She hasn't reached a final in a single tournament since winning the French Open last year. Her emotions on the court are becoming more and more unstable, often showing frustration and irritability, and the strong psychological quality of the past has also been significantly weakened.

These issues were laid bare in her match against Gauff and in several other defeats. Some fans believe that Abramovich has not been able to help Swiatek effectively for some time. This is not the first time she has been questioned, and it probably won't be the last.

Tsitsipas was worried about his father's intervention

Tsitsipas lost to Musetti in the third round of the Madrid Open and went out early. Although he had terminated his coaching relationship with his father Apostolos last year, his father's reappearance has caused fans to worry. Tsitsipas has admitted that he has a strained relationship with his father and disagreements over the direction of his career. The two clashed at the 2024 Canadian Open, and he even pleaded with his parents to give him more freedom and let him make his own decisions.

Tsitsipas had won the title in Dubai earlier this year, but his results have fluctuated again since his father reappeared in his players' box. Fans have speculated whether his father's over-control is affecting the 26-year-old's performance and called on Apostolos to give his son more freedom.(Source: Tennis Home Author: Spark)