Iga Swiatek Follows the Path of Naomi Osaka, Raises Her Concern About Mental Health Awareness at Indian Wells

Iga Swiatek has cruised into the round of 16 at Indian Wells. The second seed for the tournament registered straight-set victories in both of her matches. She defeated Martic in her first match, followed by Kudermetova in the next. In the round of 16, she’ll face World No. 30 Jeļena Ostapenko.

In the post-match conference, Swiatek started by speaking about World Mental Health Day. The World Mental Health Day is celebrated on 10th October every year. Swiatek joined fellow WTA star, Naomi Osaka, in spreading awareness about the importance of mental health.

Iga Swiatek talks about Mental Health

In the round of 32, Iga Swiatek beat Veronika Kudermetova to advance to the next round. In the post-match conference, she discussed the importance of mental health. After Naomi Osaka brought the issue to the forefront during the French Open, many athletes have followed the Japanese star. This time, Iga Swiatek, laid emphasis on the significance of Mental Health.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – AUGUST 31: Naomi Osaka of Japan celebrates winning after her Women’s Singles third round match against Cori Gauff of the United States on day six of the 2019 US Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on August 31, 2019 in Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)

Just ahead of French Open 2021, Naomi Osaka announced that she’ll withdraw from the competition due to mental health concerns.

Swiatek also posted a message on her Twitter account, which she started by saying, “When I am able to enjoy my performance, like today, I am happy and grateful… I found that it would be good to share some thoughts about mental health on the occasion of #WorldMentalHealthDay.”

Not an usual post-match post. Here’s something I want to share with you.

Nie jest to zwykły pomeczowy post. Chciałabym Wam coś przekazać.#WorldMentalHealthDay pic.twitter.com/6zkElbdaoB

— Iga Świątek (@iga_swiatek) October 10, 2021

The Pole further added, “It’s important to raise awareness in terms of looking for help and support if we need it. It’s a sign of strength and wisdom, not weakness. As Michael Phelps wrote today: It’s OK not to be OK.”

Swiatek further stated that she would like to dedicate her win to the people struggling with these issues.

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Swiatek to donate $50,000 to mental health non-profit

After her win against Kudermetova, Iga Swiatek declared that she’ll donate $50,000 of her prize money to a non-profit organization. She said, “I would like to dedicate today’s win to all the people who aren’t OK. And contribute to help them even if only a bit for now. I will donate $50,000 of my prize money for the third round in Indian Wells to non-profit providing mental health support. You can help me choose a charity in comments.”

Sep 4, 2021; Flushing, NY, USA; Iga Swiatek of Poland reacts after winning a game against Anett Kontaveit of Estonia (not pictured) on day six of the 2021 U.S. Open tennis tournament at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

The 20-year-old continues to show incredible maturity on and off the tennis court. The former French Open champion is having an excellent run at Indian Wells so far. She’ll lock horns against Jelena Ostapenko in the round of 16. After her heartwarming gesture, she’ll surely have a few more supporters for her matchup.

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