The five-time Grand Slam champion had already raised eyebrows with her strawberry-eating habits, as she revealed that she ate them with pasta, often mixed with yoghurt or cream. It’s a normal summer dish in Poland, but British fans at Wimbledon couldn’t wrap their heads around it.
“I know, I know [it sounds strange], but you should try it, guys,” Swiatek told the Centre Court crowd on Saturday.
Quizzed about the dish in her post-match press conference, the eighth seed replied: “Why is it such a big thing? Everybody should eat that
“I think so [it’s a Polish thing]. I think in summer kids are eating it a lot. I don’t know. It’s just a perfect mix of tastes, so…
“It is a Polish thing, right? We have great strawberries in Poland, as well.”
Swiatek was then asked whether Poland or England had better strawberries, and she immediately knew that her response would cause controversy.
“Honestly, I think Poland. Because we have better climate for strawberries, right? Now Wimbledon is probably going to ban me from answering these questions,” she smiled.
“No, the strawberries are great here, as well. They are different. But they are great, as well.”
As for the special recipe? “Well, like my dad adds, like, the cream. In Poland, it’s like 80 per cent fat cream. 18, not 80. He adds that and some sugar. I try to eat with yoghurt to at least pretend that it’s a good meal,” Swiatek explained.
The former world No. 1 might have to change her mind if she goes all the way here and lifts the Venus Rosewater Dish. Swiatek has traditionally struggled on grass, but she reached her first final on the surface in Bad Homburg last weekend and is now full of confidence.
She said: “I just had more days of practice. I also was able to play in Bod Hamburg against the top players.
“Yeah, we came to Mallorca before playing in Bod Hamburg, and I practised on the real grass instead of the grass we have at home, which isn’t perfect. I think I just played more, like, hours of the quality game on grass this year.”
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