Everywhere the Polish tennis star Iga Swiatek goes, a sea of red and white follows. Here in Melbourne, IgaNation are waving their flags and scarves loud and proud, singing ‘Jazda Iga’ (‘Let’s Go Iga!)
Mother-son duo Janina and Patrick Jonczyk traveled from their home in Adelaide – an eight-hour drive from Melbourne – to support their favorite champion, proudly dressed in the colors of the Polish red and white flag, joining hundreds of others at the Margaret Court Arena as the world number 2 took on Anna Kalinskaya in the third round of the Australian Open.
Like so many others, they appreciate Iga’s strong work ethic and the fact that she is outspoken and ‘tells it like it is’. When you talk to Janina and Patrick, you can feel their Polish pride – after all, she is one of Poland’s greatest living athletes, a verifiable superstar who has legions of fans from all over the world. Among her many achievements that her compatriots are proud of include being the first Polish player to become world number 1, the first Polish player to win an Olympic medal in tennis, and having the longest winning streak of the 21st century (37 matches in 2022 that took her to number 1).
Later at the press conference, I asked Iga if the fans helped her in any way. She replied that they certainly boost her energy, but that any form of coaching is like ‘a new asset!’ distracting – there she is again, she says it straight. Naturally, she would like their support in the next round against Australian qualifier Maddison Inglis, telling the crowd after her match: “Guys, hopefully you won’t be so harsh on me when I play Australian, but here with a lot of Polish flags, so yes, please even it out.”
Janina and Patrick are hoping for a daytime match so they can cheer her on before they have to return home. A night match could mean postponing their trip to another day. Either way, with that sea of red and white behind her, Swiatek will have no shortage of energy as she continues to pursue the one big one still missing from her collection.
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