Iga Świątek recently shared her thoughts on giving tennis memorabilia to fans, following the controversy involving her compatriot Kamil Majchrzak at the 2025 US Open. Majchrzak became entangled in this situation after he attempted to give his cap to a young fan after his second-round match at the Grand Slam tournament.
What Did Iga Świątek Say About Giving Fans Tennis Memorabilia After Kamil Majchrzak Controversy at US Open 2025?
After securing the biggest win of his career by defeating Karen Khachanov in the second round of the 2025 US Open, Majchrzak went into the stands to sign autographs for children and fans. While doing so, a young boy asked for his cap, and the Pole took it off to comply with the request.
However, as the 29-year-old extended the cap toward the young fan, an adult man standing nearby quickly grabbed it. The boy looked stunned, but the man ignored him completely, and Majchrzak was busy signing other items and did not notice what had happened.
Some people are truly so trashy pic.twitter.com/i08reW5AGe
— non aesthetic things (@PicturesFoIder) August 29, 2025
In light of this incident, Świątek was asked during a press conference at the New York Major about her approach to signing and giving memorabilia to fans who attend her matches. She explained that she tries to be fair by throwing the memorabilia toward the intended recipient to avoid confusion.
“Usually, like seven people reach out for one thing, and for example, if it’s a girl and the boys have longer arms, she’s not going to catch it. But I usually throw it at the person who is supposed to get it. I try to be fair, kind of. But I don’t pick like a person kind of randomly or whoever shouts louder. I know it’s not fair, but obviously not everybody’s going to be happy,” Świątek said.
The former World No. 1 was also asked if she feels uncomfortable when fans ask for her sweaty match towels. In response, she said she would have loved to have Rafael Nadal’s “sweaty” towel when she was a kid.
Świątek also mentioned that it is not right when she gives tennis memorabilia to a young child, only for an adult fan to snatch it away.
“I would love to have a sweaty towel of Rafa’s when I was a kid. So, no. Well, sometimes it’s strange when I try to give something to the kid, and the adult grabs it. Then I try to be like, “Come on, that’s not the point.” So, yeah,” she added.
At the 2025 US Open, Świątek is seeded second and has advanced to the quarterfinals by defeating Emiliana Arango (6-1, 6-2), Suzan Lamens (6-1, 4-6, 6-4), 29th seed Anna Kalinskaya (7-6(2), 6-4), and 13th seed Ekaterina Alexandrova (6-3, 6-1) in her first four rounds, respectively.
Who Will Iga Świątek Face at the 2025 US Open QF?
Following her victory over Alexandrova in the fourth round of the 2025 US Open, Świątek is set to face eighth seed Amanda Anisimova in the quarterfinals of the tournament.
Another clinical outing from Swiatek as she get past Alexandrova in straight sets! pic.twitter.com/fuOWwUuEvG
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 1, 2025
Anisimova kicked off her campaign at the New York Major by defeating Kimberly Birrell in the first round with a score of 6-3, 6-2. She then triumphed over Maya Joint 7-6(2), 6-2, and Jaqueline Cristian 6-4, 4-6, 6-2 in the second and third rounds, respectively.
The former World No. 7 secured her spot in the quarterfinals against Świątek by eliminating 18th seed Beatriz Haddad Maia with a dominant score of 6-0, 6-3 in the fourth round.
Świątek and Anisimova have previously met only once on the WTA Tour, in the final of the 2025 Wimbledon Championships, where the former World No. 1 triumphed with a scoreline of 6-0, 6-0. This victory marked Świątek’s first title at the London Major and her sixth overall Grand Slam title.
The winner of the upcoming quarterfinal match between Świątek and Anisimova at Flushing Meadows will advance to face either 11th seed Karolína Muchová or 23rd seed Naomi Osaka in the semifinals.