Iga Swiatek leaves fans stunned with a VERY unhygienic act in Australian Open loss

Polish tennis star Iga Swiatek has been accused of a very unhygienic act during the shock loss to American Madison Keys that put her Australian Open title hopes on ice for another year.

Keys had to dig deep, staving off a match point and holding on for a memorable 5-7 6-1 7-6 (10-8) win on Rod Laver Arena on Thursday night.

Swiatek has been at the centre of controversy since serving a a one-month suspension in 2024 after testing positive for prohibited substance trimetazidine (TMZ) in an out-of-competition sample last August.

Now eagle-eyed Australian Open viewers, monitoring her every move, have picked up an act during her semi-final loss to Keys they describe as 'gross'.

During at least one stage of the match, the Polish star used her Australian Open towel to first wipe up something on the ground, then wipe the sweat off her legs.

Then, to many fans' horror, she immediately used that same towel to wipe her face.

tennis player wiping floor then wiping legs and face sweat bad hygiene gross pic.twitter.com/YgdtrGj7MQ — Ashley’s Media (@mediagnome16) January 23, 2025

Polish star Iga Swiatek has come under fire again at the Australian Open for a shocking act

She lost her semi-final 5-7 6-1 7-6 (10-8) to American star Madison Keys on Rod Laver Arena

'Tennis player wiping floor then wiping legs and face sweat bad hygiene gross,' one viewer posted complete with footage of the incident.

'If she wants all the crap off the ground on her face then I guess that's kinda fitting for Iga,' another posted in a cruel swipe at the defeated star.

'Swiatek just clean the floor, then her legs, then her face with the same towel,' pointed out another, but was met with opposition.

'Is there anything wrong with that?' a Swiatek fan fired back.

'Maybe clean the floor last?' the original posted suggested.

'It doesn't matter in that situation. It's still her towel,' replied the Swiatek supporter.

'It's her towel and you don't advise her how to use it. I just don't get all this negativity towards IGA SWIATEK arguably the greatest player of this generation.'

'You just hate her that's all. If is your fav you won't say such,' another fan said in defence of Swiatek.

First, Swiatek was spotted rubbing her towel on the ground at a crucial moment in the third set

Then, after rubbing the towel on the dirty playing surface, Swiatek used it to clean the sweat off her legs

Finally, in the moment that stunned fans, Swiatek used the towel to wipe her face

'I have never been a fan, however let's not be so cruel,' added another.

Other viewers were having none of it, though.

'This was so gross to me I'm sorry,' one posted.

'Like ew you wipe the floor your legs then your FACE!' another posted with a sick face emoji.

'I mean besides the fact I feel like you need to do the face and body before the ground (common sense to me) why are you wiping off the FLOOR with a towel meant for YOU??? Get another one,' another confused viewer tweeted.

Others were unhappy that the Polish star was not only using her towel in an unhygienic fashion, but that she was allegedly using it to waste time.

'I don't enjoy these pauses Iga is taking — fixing her shoes, going to the toilet, or dragging wiping her face with a towel,' one viewer posted.

'I understand it's all within the rules and that she's doing it to boost her mentality, not to affect her opponent — but still,' one viewer posted.

Swiatek had a match point against Keys but was unable to convert and her Australian Open drought continues

Keys was elated to reach the final against two-time champion Aryna Sabalenka

Swiatek has been constantly called out for alleged time-wasting tactics throughout the Australian Open and there were plenty of fans lining up to serve it up to her during the loss to Keys as well.

'Delay tactic maybe?' one fan asked.

'Swiatek's dirty tactics are back,' another fan posted on X. 'She loses the set 6-1 and makes Keys wait on her to serve. Keys clearly not happy.'

'Madison understandably was not impressed,' another added.

'Has there ever been a worst sportsmanship player than Iga Swiatek?'

'That serve from Keys could not have been better after all that time wasting and disrespect from Iga!! Have some of that!!! Go Keys,' posted another after Keys whacked an ace past Swiatek.

Keys was not buying into any of it, though, instead bathing in the emotion of reaching the Australian Open final against Aryna Sabalenka.

'I'm still trying to catch up to everything that is happening, I'm in the finals. That match was such high level and she played so well and I just felt like I was fighting to stay in it.

When asked about Swiatek's apparent time-wasting strategies, Keys held her tongue.

'I think the rules are fine. The clock ran out on my change, but not hers,' she said.

A devastated Swiatek was left to rue the chance to claim her first Australian Open and re-claim her No.1 ranking.

'You have to experience that to know,' she lamented.

'I guess at the end Madison was kind of brave with her decisions and she pushed me when she needed to.'

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