Iga Swiatek given cold shoulder by US tennis star as rivals start to turn on world No.2
Iga Swiatek was given a frosty handshake by tennis rival Danielle Collins before Poland and the United States did battle at the United Cup.
Swiatek ended up losing her singles clash against Coco Gauff, with Taylor Fritz beating Hubert Hurkacz in men’s singles to seal the overall title for the Americans. As is customary before each showdown, players from both nations formed a line and shook hands with one another.
Collins’ brief interaction with Swiatek was telling. As their hands made contact, Collins could not even look her in the eye as she walked away with what appeared to be a disapproving expression on her face.
Fans were quick to cotton onto Collins’ not-so-subtle signal on social media, with rumours spreading of a rift between the pair. Animosity towards world No. 2 Swiatek has grown in the wake of her recent doping scandal.
The Pole tested positive for banned substance Trimetazidine in an out-of-competition sample last year. Swiatek reasoned with the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) that it was due to a contaminated supply of melatonin, which she claims to use for help with the effects of jet lag.
