Iga Swiatek inspired by presence of 'Ted Lasso' at U.S. Open

You'd think a 23-year-old superstar — with all her achievements at such a tender age — is doing perfectly fine in the personnel/coaching department. Yet, even she could use a pick-me-up every now and then.

After her crushing 6-4, 6-1 win over Liudmila Samsonova in the fourth round of the 2024 U.S. Open on Monday, Swiatek said she was "inspired" by the presence of actor Jason Sudeikis, who cheered for the Pole from his box at Arthur Ashe Stadium. Swiatek revealed she's a big fan of the show "Ted Lasso," which sees Sudeikis portray an American college football coach hired to coach an English soccer team. In the show, Sudeikis uses unconventional and bizarre leadership techniques to inspire his players and successfully transforms a losing ball club into a winning franchise. 

"Just the positivity," Swiatek said of the elements of "Ted Lasso" she takes onto the court. "It's a totally different sport because there, it's all about team spirit. Here, a little bit as well with my team, but we're alone on the court. I try to avoid looking at the screens. But I saw him [Sudeikis] tonight when I was looking at the chair umpire. I wanted to stay focused and I hope he appreciates my mentality because this is what Ted Lasso is all about. I hope he enjoys and he's not working right now on a new series or something!"

The Pole even shared a GIF from the show after clinching a quarterfinal berth.

Swiatek will face American veteran Jessica Pegula in the quarterfinal on Wednesday. With the crowd expected to be behind Pegula, Swiatek may need to dig deeper into Ted Lasso's methods to advance.