What did a Polish journalist ask Iga Swiatek at the US Open? Tennis player slams reporter over unusual question

Iga Swiatek is going viral as a clip from the recent press conference after the US Open is spreading on the internet. On August 28, 2025, Iga won a three-set match against Suzan Lamens.

After the match, a Polish journalist asked Iga Swiatek at the press conference if she would wear hair beads in the future, seemingly referring to Naomi Osaka's viral look at the US Open on Tuesday. Osaka wore red embellished roses in her hair, along with bedazzled headphones.

According to The New York Post's August 28, 2025, report, before the reporter asked the question, Iga Swiatek was asked about Jelena Ostapenko and Taylor Townsend's argument during the game. Reporters asked Iga about the double standards between men and women in Tennis and sports in general.

The tennis player refused to answer, saying that she could not speak for other sports, and could only talk about tennis. She also stated that she was caught up with an early match and did not know much about Jelena Ostapenko and Taylor Townsend's fight.

After this, when the Polish reporter, Tomek Moczerniuk, asked Iga Swiatek about hair beads, she appeared to look displeased as she asked what sort of question it was.

"What kind of question is this? I'm sorry. Did you think about putting beads in your hair? No. What's going on here?" the tennis player replied.

Iga Swiatek responds to an odd question in press at the U.S. Open:

"What kind of question is this, I'm sorry. Did you think about putting beads in your hair? No. What's going on here?" 💀

pic.twitter.com/6hnThDHecn

— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) August 28, 2025

The Polish reporter, Tomek Moczerniuk, clarified the intention behind his question to Iga Swiatek

After a clip of the press conference spread on X, and netizens started bashing the reporter, Tomek Moczerniuk came forward and explained his point of view.

On August 28, 2025, he wrote on X that the situation got "out of hand" because Iga Swiatek didn't like his question. He shared that he meant to ask if she wanted to show off a new look to New Yorkers.

"The conversation with Iga got a bit out of hand. Unfortunately, I got caught in the crossfire because she didn't like that I asked if, since New Yorkers like a show, she had ever thought about lightly shocking them, for example, by weaving beads into her hair," the reporter stated.

Tomek Moczerniuk stated that the "whole context" was important as the press conference was supposedly "tense" after reporters asked Iga serious questions.

The Polish reporter clarified that he wanted to "lighten the mood," and he wished he could "turn back time" and not ask the question. Moczerniuk noted that he would apologize to Iga Swiatek the moment he meets her.

"You need to understand the whole context. The end of the conference was tense, and I wanted to lighten the mood a bit and ask a casual, relaxed question. But it turned out as it did, and I can't turn back time. I'll apologize to Iga at the earliest opportunity. Best regards," he wrote.

Fans then asked the reporter if he would ask male players like Novak Djokovic the same question. Tomek Moczerniuk replied saying he would, and such casual questions are common, and most players reportedly reply with "reserve."

However, Moczerniuk stated that he realized later that asking such question in that scenario was inappropriate, and he would personally apologize to Iga Swiatek.