Swiatek Snaps Back at Mental Break Question

By Richard Pagliaro | Wednesday, September 3, 2025
Photo credit: Jed Jacobsohn/ROLEX

NEW YORK—Post-match pressers after painful defeats aren’t often morale-boosters for some champions.

Amanda Anisimova avenged her humbling double-bagel loss to Iga Swiatek in the Wimbledon final, sweeping the second-seeded Pole 6-4, 6-3 to surge into her maiden US Open semifinal today.

Afterward, an ornery Swiatek snapped back at a journalist who asked if she needed a mental break following her heavy workload.

Last month, Swiatek beat Jasmine Paolini in the Cincinnati Open final played on a Monday then flew straight to New York where she partnered Casper Ruud to reach the newly-reimagined US Open Mixed Doubles final where they fell to defending champions Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori in the final.

Still, Swiatek was in no mood for deep reflection on her mental state after her US Open and 11-match major winning streak was snapped by Freehold, New Jersey native Anisimova.

Iga Swiatek’s response to being asked if she needs a mental break after loss to Anisimova at U.S. Open

Iga: “Do you need a mental break?”

“Sorry?”

Iga: “You look like you need a mental break.”

“I do yeah.”

Iga: “Then what are you doing here?” 😭😭😭😭 pic.twitter.com/p8Yfxrv755
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) September 3, 2025

Here’s the exchange as it occurred near the end of Swiatek’s post-match presser.

Q: How tired are you at the moment?
IGA SWIATEK: Well, I don’t know. It’s not like my
matches were exhausting here.
Q. Do you feel like a mental break? I’m not talking
about the loss as such.
IGA SWIATEK: Why would you say that?
Q. I just wondered. It’s just a lot in a row. Do you look
forward to a break?
IGA SWIATEK: Well, talk to people responsible for the
schedule. Do you need mental break?
Q. Sorry?
IGA SWIATEK: You look like you need mental break.
Q. I do, yeah.
IGA SWIATEK: Well, then what are you doing here?
Q. Got to get to the end of the tournament.
IGA SWIATEK: Good luck

4 comments

Buzzy 09/04/2025 4:08 PM

Clever response by Iga Swiatek to inappropriate question about her mental health by nervy reporter. The cojones of the reporter! Did it occur to her to ask Venus Williams why she is contemplating continuing to compete on WTA tour given the deterioration of her tennis performance now in comparison to her tennis of years gone by? She is not the great, quick, tennis she was (she is 45 years old). I bet the reporter wouldn’t such a question to VW, so why is the inappropriate, insulting question posed Swiatek on her mental health/mental health break? It seems an apology is in order from the reporter to Iga Swiatek. Period.

Christopher DiFonso 09/05/2025 12:06 AM

What a very misleading – actually, FALSE – headline! Swiatek did NOT “snap back” at the reporter. She did NOT raise her voice. She did NOT speak in an aggressive manner.

Jack Gayle 09/05/2025 11:52 AM

Does a reporter have a playbook they go by? That question to Iga could be asked to any person that just lost a match. DUMB!

Kevin L 09/05/2025 2:28 PM

A rookie reporter pretending to be a “journalist”. In reality, he appeared quite the jackass seeking media attention with his little performance.
Unfortunately many of today’s reporters are merely resorting to provocation and personal attacks upon their subject(s) in hopes of a negative response which, in turn, gives him/her a spot in the 24-hour news cycle.
Iga has the experience anyPro needs to address such Rookies.
She did indeed handle him: “Do you need a mental health break?”
He replies, “Maybe I do”.
Iga shoots from the hip with, “Then what are you doing here?”
The coward immediately slinked out of the room while justifying his departure: “I have to catch the end of the tournament”.

No question who The Professional was in that moment.