Iga Swiatek wowed tennis fans on Saturday as she eased past Danielle Collins to progress into the Wimbledon fourth round, but many left Centre Court perplexed. That was because she revealed a diet of pasta and strawberries had been fuelling her pursuit of a sixth Grand Slam in SW19 this summer.
“I know, I know [it sounds strange], but you should try it, guys,” Swiatek told the Centre Court crowd after her 6-2 6-3 victory against the American.
“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. It is a Polish thing, right? We have great strawberries in Poland, as well.”
Swiatek then joked that she could be banned from Wimbledon for claiming that Poland’s strawbs were better than those on offer in England.
She continued: “I think Poland. Because we have a better climate for strawberries, right?
“Now Wimbledon is probably going to ban me from answering these questions. The strawberries are great here, as well. They are different. But they are great.”
The 24-year-old later took to Instagram to double down on the revelation by sharing her latest taste of the twist on the iconic Italian dish.
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She posted an image of strawberries and either a yoghurt or cream mixed with pasta, captioning it: “Come on guys, this is a Polish speciality.”
The former world No. 1 sparked debate once the image found its way onto X, though, with many disgusted at the creative dish.
@MaxiHielo wrote: “This should be illegal.”
@Mikki58617040 reacted: “Ok, this is gross.”
@Marcgiannangeli spared a thought for the Italian players on the tour, joking: “I hope Jannik [Sinner], [Lorenzo] Sonego and [Flavio] Cobolli didn’t see this.”
@aasarwar7862 posted: “Okay, that picture is mildly disturbing. The Italians are moaning in disbelief. I’m sure she’s going to get some grief from her Italian fans. If it works for her fantastic! Though I doubt it’s showing up on any restaurant menus anytime soon.”
Swiatek will not care about the reaction, as long as her delicacy tastes nice and continues to fuel her quest for a first career Wimbledon title.
The eighth seed’s best performance at the All England Club came in 2023 when she reached the quarter-finals.
She will face Denmark’s Clara Tauson for a spot in the last eight on Monday.