Tennis player defended for blunt reaction to bizarre hair question at US Open

Polish tennis player, Iga Swiatek, has been defended for her understandably blunt reaction to a bizarre question she was asked at the US Open.

Following victory over her Dutch opponent, Suzan Lamens, on Thursday (28 August), the 24-year-old tennis star sat down for a press conference when a journalist asked the 'stupid' question.

The question prompted Swiatek, who is currently ranked No. 2 in women's singles by the WTA, to put her head in her hands out of sheer astonishment.

The male reporter was asked if she would consider putting beads in her hair, similar to what Japanese tennis player Naomi Osaka has done on occasion.

Swiatek had no interest in entertaining the inquiry and hit back: "What kind of question is that, excuse me? If I wanted to weave beads in my hair? No. What’s going on?"

The reporter then walked out of the press conference room while Swiatek shook her head in disbelief.

Thankfully, people rushed to social media to defend Swiatek following the ordeal with one X user pointing out: "She's a tennis player not a hair stylist."

"Tennis players being asked a bit too much about hairstyles these days," lamented a second.

A third quipped: "Do they have an award for the most stupid question at the end of the year?"

"Such a stupid question," slammed a fourth while another agreed: "Seems like a really stupid question."

And a final X user fumed: "Imagine having the chance to ask one of the best tennis players in the world today a question and THIS! THIS is what you go for?!"

Elsewhere during the US Open, Latvian tennis player Jelena Ostapenko and American player Taylor Townsend appeared to get into a heated argument, which was reportedly sparked after Ostapenko told Townsend that she should say sorry for a shot that clipped the top of the net but stayed in play, which is known as a net cord.

While Ostapenko didn't do a post-match news conference, Townsend did speak to reporters about the situation, saying that her opponent told her she has 'no class, I have no education and to see what happens when we get outside the US, so I'm looking forward to it'.

"I mean, I beat her in Canada, outside the US I beat her in New York [inside] the US, so let's see what else she has to say," she added.

Ostapenko did, however, later take to Instagram to issue a series of statements on the matter, with one directly responding to allegations of racism against Townsend - who, as we say, did very clearly state that she 'can't speak on how [Ostapenko] felt' about the situation.

"Wow how many messages I received that I am a racist. I was NEVER racist in my life and I respect all nations of people in the world, for me it doesn't matter where you come from. There are some rules in tennis and unfortunately when the crowd is with you you can't use it in disrespectful way to your opponent," Ostapenko wrote.

Her message concluded: "Unfortunately for me coming from such a small country I don't have that huge support and a chance to play in homeland. I always loved to play in the US and US OPEN, but this is the first time someone is approaching the match this disrespectful way."

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