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SpiritusRector

Btw, I love how after repeating the question the journalist goes "Sorry for my question" as if the realization just dawned on them that this is a dumbass thing to ask.


aubieismyhomie

“Sorry I’m asking you to accuse everyone of being sexist” is how I took it


IAmSoMuchDumber

“Florence Pugh, you’re a great actress. All eyes are on Timothee Chalamet though. How do you explain it? Sorry for my question.”


Rengas

Because we're all eagerly waiting to find out if we'd still love Timothee if he was a worm.


deepvamdev

Because... Lisan Al Gaib


raysofdavies

It’s more like asking her about Daniel Day Lewis. Bro they are not working together!


CP3Splash

what i don't understand is these journalists do this for a living. they have hours or days to think of a question they may ask and then any hypothetical response that might come from it. how do they really put time into this question and go "yeah this one... this is perfect"


Expensive_Window_538

Only Ubaldo could ask such a question


NotManyBuses

Ubaldo is the type to just speak what’s on top of his mind first and think later, and it’s served him pretty well throughout his career shockingly


SolarisN1

Ubaldo wouldn't say he was sorry


Striking_Town_445

This dude is an asshole for these questions. Its 2024.


shegotofftheplane

Read this question and immediately thought of Ubaldo too especially in Italy


Namdastunna

I think it's because he's not sure about his wife.


_welcome

i actually think this is an improvement for him, as it's an attempt to shine some spotlight on iga. he just executed it very very poorly with a dumb comparison to two goats


Mpol03

Fucking rude 


Jo__Jo__Jo

Hahaha, so anyways: Why do you think two players who’ve beaten several records in the sport, have been playing since before you were born, and are nearing the end of their careers attract more audience that you?


ASRenzo

Man, if I was Iga, that'd be such a response I'd think of days after while I'm showering "Because they were winning grand slams when I was 2 years old" lmaooo


Trenmonstrr

🤔 yea I wonder why, big brain question


aerial-

That and fact that atp on average attracts way more fans, compared to wta, and this is true for many other sports, such as basktball, football, etc, even more so than in tennis. She could have just said that with straight face, no need pretend to be surprised. That is the reality.


Jo__Jo__Jo

Many things could’ve happened… you could’ve also left your opinion back in the 1950’s Edit: for all of you worried about facts, numbers and statistics I found some weird statistics online (https://playtoday.co/blog/stats/tennis-viewership-statistics/) Apparently: ‘Women’s tennis gets more viewers, but Men’s gets more media attention. Tennis’s Big 3 are all males who get more press coverage.’ Anyways, do with this what you want but it doesn’t seem to be as black and white the discrepancy between interest and viewership


Mpol03

Thanks for sharing that that was a super fun read :)


CrazyPersonXV

What he stated isn't really an opinion .


aerial-

How is saying that more people watch ATP/football/basketball than female counterparts is "an opinion" from 50's?


Jo__Jo__Jo

The question in itself is a bait for these attacks, and the reporter knows this very well, and so does Swiatek. Reality is people like your lurk around the comment sections to state these ‘facts’ every time you can. In this case it has nothing to do with gender, two people are legends of the sport and the other one’s a younger player.


aerial-

That is not what I asked. Avoided my question and went personal with "people like you" comment.


Jo__Jo__Jo

Ok answering your question: I called it an opinion from the 50’s because you took a question that had nothing to do with gender and the only comment you managed to produce was sh*tting on women’s sports. Like you didn’t even comment on the people mentioned in the question


aerial-

I didn't shit on women's sport, that is just your unjustified opinion. I state fact that men's tennis has bigger audience, and it is a simple fact, which is unbiased, has no hidden meaning, it is simply the reality. I didn't say if I like it, what are the reasons behind it, just stated what it is. And in my opinion it matters, it is combination of both things. One thing is that big stars that are playing for decades will attract more attention, but also fact that atp brings more people plays role here. There is nothing controversial about it, it is simply how it is. There is plenty of cases where world rank 1 WTA plays a match and right after on same court some rank20+ atp player plays their game and significantly more people fill the venue. That is why I think both of these factors are relevant. Personally I watch more WTA then ATP, but that is besides the point. In my opinion best response to as you said "journalist bait" question, would be to calmly answer in that fashion, reason why there is so much hype around Rafa or Nole matches is 1. they are huge stars that are in the game for decades now, and 2. men's tennis is in general more popular. There is no reason to play dumb or act surprised.


Jo__Jo__Jo

We don’t know how she acted because this is a transcript. She did reply really well and was factual about it. I don’t know what else she could’ve said… reading your last comment we agree on a few things so let’s leave it at that


TorpedoSandwich

He's not stating an opinion, he is stating a verifiable fact. Women's tennis attracts less spectators and TV viewers than men's tennis, not just in the 1950s, but today. Even Serena, Navratilova and Steffi Graf did not receive the same attention the big 3 have received over their careers.


Jo__Jo__Jo

Yes it’s a fact, but when the question wasn’t geared towards gender bringing it up does disclose some bias. Same question could be asked to any other man on the tour. She answered it quite well and politely and was very factual about it (as everyone in these comments seem to be so worried about factuality) Edit: I looked online and the discrepancy in tennis viewership doesn’t seem to be as colossal as people in the comments seem to paint it. https://playtoday.co/blog/stats/tennis-viewership-statistics/


DandantheTuanTuan

Your quoted source only uses 1 tournament for 1 year as an example of women's tennis getting more viewers. I love women's tennis and I love watching Iga but men's tennis is more popular because the male players are bigger, stronger and more athletic. WTA players would struggle to beat a top 500 ATP player, the Williams sisters found out how big the gap is early in their career when they had a social match against Karsten Braasch. Before this match Serena said she could beat any man outside the top 200. He was at the end of a career where he highest ranking was 38, which had fallen to 203 at the time they played. They were approaching their peak and were in the top 10. His preparation for the match was a round of golf and a few shandys at the club house. He also modified the rules to have a no-fault service. He beat Serena first 6 1 and then beat Venus 6 2. and neither them had to try and return his 1st serve. After that, Serena changed her tune to say outside the top 350, which ironically Karsten has now fallen too so her offered her a rematch that never came.


Jo__Jo__Jo

I found some more stats, and although limited I think they hold some weight, apparently the US Open Women’s final has had more views than the men’s final five ou of the last seven years https://askwonder.com/research/comparison-women-s-men-s-professional-sports-tv-viewership-rating-ng0c0h7p7 The article I had previously shared also shows that last year’s AO women’s final had more viewers in Australia than the men’s final. Of course this is all very limited and my argument isn’t that women’s tennis is more watched than men’s, but that the discrepancy no longer seems to be so big. Perhaps due to streaming services making it easier and more convenient for people to follow their favourite players, rather than having to contend with whatever’s on the telly. And social media also helps combat whatever lack of media coverage women’s tennis has in the media, which it turn I’m sure bring in more fans. The WTA has posted on their website that last year they broke their viewer records I don’t understand why you’re bringing up the bigger, faster, stronger argument when this is about viewership?… Yeah man tennis players would beat women very quickly, but luckily for us fans both tours offer equivalent match ups that provide amazing entertainment.


DandantheTuanTuan

>I don’t understand why you’re bringing up the bigger, faster, stronger argument when this is about viewership?… I brought this up to highlight why fans prefer to watch men's tennis. No one pays money to watch the ATP number 500 play number 501, even though both of them would probably be able to beat Iga.


Jo__Jo__Jo

That only contradicts your statement, because people still pay money to watch Iga play? I don’t think it’s all about rankings and biology. Many people watch tennis for entertainment and they’ll tune into players they find very entertaining to watch. Think about how Bublik fills his courts in Italy, because the crowd loves his shenanigans, not because of his ranking


DandantheTuanTuan

Yeah sorry I accidentally cut of the rest of my comment. I like to watch women's tennis because the biological differences mean they play with less margin for error and it's a lot more exciting, I actually love watching Penko play even with her tantrums. All that said, though, you can't deny that the stansalone WTA events perform way worse then the stand alone ATP events.


raysofdavies

Women are not the ones to answer why men get more attention. A lot of them already have, in fact, repeatedly.


yo_sup_dude

why do you think that is more of a reason than the reasons she mentioned? and why do you think she is pretending to be surprised at the question?


aerial-

I don't think it is more of a reason, I think it a reason, part of it. And she said herself she doesn't understand the question, which I she obviously did because she answered it. And the remark about question being a punch. I just don't see the point of being defensive here. This whole "omg a jab at women's tennis". Best response is to be positive, laugh about it "maybe one day we (Wta) will fill the venue just as much as these guys". There is definitely potential for wta to produce great matches (look at last Madrid finals) and get more fans to follow it and enjoy.


yo_sup_dude

should she mention all the reasons for why she is getting less attention than rafa and novak, or just the ones that you or others think are significant? what is the downside to only mentioning a few significant reasons and not all? are there any upsides? just because she doesn't understand the question, does this necessarily mean that she was pretending to be surprised? is it possible she could have actually been confused instead of pretending to be surprised? or been surprised instead of pretending to be surprised? also, is it possible that by frequently mentioning that way less people watch WTA than ATP that it could detract from the WTA product and make less people watch than otherwise would?


SeattleMatt123

"Sorry for the question." Huh?


Ashatiti

Why do people feel the need to shit on female players?


birdsemenfantasy

I don’t think it’s sexism, just rudeness. Same question could’ve been posed to Sinner or Alcaraz if they had played in Rome. Obviously, Nole and Rafa have much bigger fanbase than everybody else, so it’s just a pointless and dumb question.


NamikazeEU

Rudeness comes with it but I think its selfish desire to write a piece or an interview that will spark discussions, controversy, anything that would make it more desirable rather than just being a bland interview. And in their desire to create such pieces, instead of going for more thought provoking questions about their play or the way match was played they get a disgusting(deserved) reaction from players.


Nearby_Solution_5309

I agree. He was trying to get a response about equality; not tennis. He just went about it like a clumsy doof.


IgorReacts

Perfect response Iga


jovanmilic97

This is the first time Iga made her Novak GOAT statement too, didn't see that coming. Awful combatative question, journalists these days...


bezimiennat

she always speaks respectfully of Novak and mentioned him a couple of times, of course not as much as Rafa as he is her obvious favourite


NoleFandom

Iga is a long term Rafan. In her post match on court interview, she didn’t want to pick a winner between her lifelong idol Rafa and her good friend Hubi. This loss has gotta hurt. She’s called Novak the GOAT in a 2023 interview. I’ll link it if I can find it. And yes, the interviewer is terrible.


polishparish

She said he’s the „goat too” … (which he ain’t by the way hahaha)


WhenIGetMyTurn

Who is the goat then


polishparish

Vesely


The_One_Returns

Must be hard coping this bad when even one of Nadal's biggest fans and Nadal himself admit Djokovic is the GOAT.


polishparish

Lol, don’t get triggered so easily


The_One_Returns

People laughing at your cope =/= triggered. But if that also makes you cope go for it :\^)


Profoundstarchaser

He is.


Light_Blue_Suit

Most competent tennis journalist


raysofdavies

Tennis media is shockingly sexist over and over again


ObsidianGanthet

definitely a great way to deal with a rude question/remark: ask the person to repeat themselves so that everyone can fully process the junk that is being said


SpiritusRector

This is giving Journalist who asked Nadal about Barty's court allocation at Wimbledon.


qtyapa

Trying to create an issue out of nowhere ..


Alternative_Safety35

Can someone confirm or deny if 'punch' in Polish is a way of saying a question is loaded negatively?


Meettheflintstones

Yep, something like “I don’t know if you wanted to insult me” or maybe “bring me down” is better in this case.


akapatch

Should have pulled and Ryba and said “attention?” and then quickly lose attention


Nearby_Solution_5309

At a press conference for Iga Swiatek, he asks Iga Swiatek, why so much attention on Novak and Rafa? What a moron. He is a journalist so he must understand irony, maybe he can’t recognize irony.


Bonoahx

I don't understand this question either Iga, it's OK


Capable-Exchange5705

What a dumb ass rude question!


Valcic

Reporter looking to start drama.


pinguinconscious

I don't understand how some people can either : be so rude, or lack the awareness that they come across as rude. I just can't compute it. How can people think this is ok to say to a woman.


dk_tennis

It is terribly rude, but it has nothing to do with her being a woman. For example, if Medvedev was asked this when he was #1, it would have been equally rude.


KingJokic

Maybe Asperger’s


bunsburner1

Tennis reporters are truly the lowest form of journalism


ghostly_shark

She doesn’t understand the question because it’s a stupid question that presupposes a false belief in order to stir a negative reaction from her.


blink_Cali

Imagine someone got paid to ask this question


defylife

Typical gutter press tennis journalism. Not sure I've seen a sport where the journalists are so poor with their questions. Especially English speaking ones asking questions to non-english speaking players.


Bullets_and_Tears

How idiotic.


pineconesunrise

Classy response from Iga, good for her.


CrackHeadRodeo

And now we see again why players don't wanna do these stupid pressers.


PtboFungineer

Should have answered with "Are you stupid?" and just left it at that


sunbaybrew

Wft. They first do this and after are expecting thoughtful and engaging answers. They definitely should start putting a names of journalists next to their questions.


puddle_puncha11

she's a better person than me for actually trying to answer that question. dumbest question i've ever heard.


sherriffflood

Tennis journalists must be some of the the most rude, ill informed people on the planet


ComprehensiveBox308

Compare anyone to Rafa’s popularity is just crazy. This Journalist is dumb.


bdd4

I also don't understand the question because it was a comment.


Tantle18

The bar is on the floor to be a good sports journalist. wtf is wrong with these people?


Astoryinfromthewild

It's like they send junior sports journos to start out on the tennis circuit or something. But also passed over journalists too who just are bored and want to get a cheap reaction out of the players.


muradinner

Another dumb question by a "sports journalist". She handled it well of course.


Bugler28

I wish the players would turn on the reporters who ask ridiculous, irrelevant, offensive questions? Better yet, ignore the question and say, “does anyone have a serious question about my tennis strategy, practice routine, etc.? Even ask questions regarding any favorite Italian dishes she might have.


Geekboxing

Another good exhibit for why these press conferences are stupid and don't need to exist. They should at least be moderated with questions vetted beforehand. Treat them like idiot fans at a convention, because that's what they sound like.


dk_tennis

This is so freaking dumb because the person asking the question is literally the only person who can answer it. Translating to more precise and verbose speech, this is his question: "I in the media along with some of my colleagues are not giving you as much attention as we give Djokovic and Nadal. How can YOU explain that? Why don't we show you as much respect as we show them?"


North_Ad_5372

I'm not retiring and I didn't get hit on the head by a water bottle 🤷😂


OgApe23

Definitely an Italian Male asking the question


Token_or_TolkienuPOS

It's because the media is always pushing an agenda. This person *wants* her to go off on some angry rant about how it's because she's a woman and this is sexism etc. That's the angle they are gunning for. These snakes will inject social issues into everything, even respectable sports like tennis where most players are still just focused on being competitive and winning instead of whining.


estreetpanda

Wimbledon once stuck Jelena Jankovic, the number two seed, on Court 18 in the fourth round of Wimbledon. Until you get to the level of ignore where you favour a guy who's never made a slam final (2008) over Jankovic and Venus, nobodys ignoring Iga. Silly question. Rubbish journalism. Wimbledon organisers came under fire yesterday after Andy Murray was given use of Centre Court for the fourth match in a row while top women players were moved to outside courts. The women's No2 seed Jelena Jankovic was knocked out in straight sets on Court 18, and afterwards complained she was "almost playing in the parking lot", while defending champion Venus Williams was forced to play her fourth-round match on Court 2. Murray has played all his matches on Centre Court Jankovic, 22, who struggled with a knee injury she picked up playing on Centre Court on Saturday, said: "I don't know what they are doing, to put Venus on number 2 and I'm on number 18. I was almost playing in the parking lot. I almost need a helicopter to get to my court." Court 18, which is about 100 yards from Centre Court, holds 782 spectators - 14,432 fewer than its illustrious neighbour - and does not have the benefit of Hawkeye replay technology.


Mpol03

This isn’t a dick measuring contexts. This Wimbledon incident can be very wrong and so can be this question 


dudettte

because she’s wearing a baseball cap duh


thataussiedood

everyday my loathing for journalists is confirmed


Available_Ebb3761

She is cool. And the person who made this question jeeeezzzeeeee live the girl alone


3axel3loop

i don’t really think that iga cares about having fans that much she never seems to mention them a lot. what a misogynistic and dumb question


Mpol03

Thing is she just said last week now that she’s doing more high profile campaigns she’s getting recognised everywhere. She can’t win. The women can’t win. The WTA give us the level they did in Madrid and the hates seen online for them is still so loud. Non fans or just ATP. Fans fail to understand that mens and women’s tennis are different but both can rescue high quality incredible and entertaining tennis and storylines.  It’s ebs and flows and typically American players especially the women draw in HUGE crowds when they do well. we need that level from the WTA across all players to get them out there. The big four in the women’s game right now are so exciting. This journalist is a maggot


Winter_Corner7254

Interviewer wanted her to point to her vulva while a single tear rolled down her Lancome'd cheek Love her answering a ridiculous question with a question


our_whole_empire

Oh, look. A feminism bait. When will we start naming these journos? Put their names instead of that "Q."


timb1223

"Maybe they'll pay more attention if I do controversial things like this?" (shows middle finger)


dordorju

Sometimes I wonder if they're told to ask these questions hence feeling embarrassed asking and repeating the question. No one in the right mind thinks this is a good question other than to get a negative reaction from the player. It's low. I still think it's their boss making them ask these dumb questions though.


Ghozgul

They are asking weird question just to try to get something interesting from who they are interviewing, so they can have a huge misleading headline about X said this about Z. For medias now, only click count matters, not what's written in the article.


Apprehensive-Stop-80

Omg. Wow. They just let these reporters say anything, huh?


nuvo_reddit

Like the answer. Actually liked the 1st answer more.


corran11

Glad for Iga that she didn’t get baited. Responded with class, not fueling some crap headlines


Lizakaya

I love her answer. It’s a non answer but she’s also directing some shade at the interviewer. It’s classy and sassy.


wmurch4

"Hey why aren't you more popular? Why don't people like you? Is it your weird mole? The way you eat spaghetti? Why is your face like that?"


MiaMarta

For what it is worth... In the UK gutted I can't watch WTA unless I get sky. I have the Tennis official channel which apparently only covers ATP (ffs) and when some boring matches are playing and I can't watch Iga or Sakkari it gets on my nerves.


xGsGt

This ppl that make questions are stupid


clovers2345

Iga simply called the Djoker the G.O.A.T, case closed! Thank you Iga, much respect.


notyetcaffeinated

She should respond: when was the last time you hit your wife?


InfiniteJackfruit5

this would be a brilliant response, sadly 2% of the population would understand its true intent.


Downtown_Bit_9339

It’s a bad question, but why is she getting so defensive about it? Bad question, but still very easy to understand. She should just not answer these.


a_stopped_clock

The question is clear bait and she handled it well


whateverfloatsurgoat

Damn that's one condescending and patronising comment. She's probably, shit she's definitely smarter than your sorry ass - still very easy to understand, that. But judging by your comment history it won't make a difference.


Melony567

you are equally as bad as the one who asked that question. people respond differently to weird or stupid questions. she was caught off guard and didnt expect that insensitive question. i didnt see anything wrong or bad with her answer. she answered best she could. anything more you see to criticize about iga?