Iga Swiatek was forced to give back the Venus Rosewater Dish almost immediately after winning Wimbledon, with the All England Club taking the trophy and giving the Polish star a replica instead
Polish tennis star Iga Swiatek experienced a bittersweet moment as she won the Wimbledon Women’s singles on Saturday. Despite her stunning 6-0, 6-0 victory, which she chalked up in just under an hour, the 24-year-old soon learned that the Venus Rosewater Dish wouldn’t be hers to keep.
After dominating an emotional Amanda Anisimova, in what turned out to be the most lopsided final in the Open Era, Swiatek was quickly acquainted with Wimbledon’s harsh tradition.
The iconic trophy is traditionally taken back soon after the presentation ceremony, leaving champions like Swiatek with a smaller replica.
The revelation came to light during the BBC’s coverage, where host Clare Balding, and pundit Tracy Austin, were chatting about the champion’s walk towards the balcony for Swiatek’s celebratory moment.
Balding said: “It looks so lovely that side of the clubhouse and it’s just great, you’ve got your hands on this trophy.” Austin then chimed in adding: “She keeps looking at it! It’s so beautiful to see her smiling.”
However, 2013 Wimbledon winner Marion Bartoli was on hand to drop a bombshell. “But she can’t keep it,” she interjected.
Bartoli continued: “You only get a replica of it. This one goes back into the trophy gallery. You will have it at the Champions Ball in your hand again, then it will go back to the trophy gallery. You don’t go back home with that trophy, there is only one place and it stays in the trophy gallery at Wimbledon.”
After Swiatek returned indoors to snap some photos with the trophy and her team, she encountered All England Club CEO Sally Bolton, who promptly reclaimed the trophy, reports the Express. Bartoli humorously said that the Wimbledon boss will have told Swiatek that she had to give the famous trophy up.
When Balding queried the French legend about the size of the replica trophy winners keep, she responded: “Three-quarters size.”
She added: “But all the names are engraved, all the names of the past champions who have graced that court before you are engraved with the replica you can take home. But it’s only three-quarters size. But it’s still beautiful.”
Coco Gauff also learned this hard truth in June when she clinched her first French Open title. The US Star even created a TikTok video where she joked about the smaller size of her replica trophy.
Meanwhile, Andy Murray, who was absent from Wimbledon this year before the Sunday final, playfully took issue with the replica trophy situation by taking to Instagram.
“Surely the tennis majors can do a better job with the replica trophies?! They are tiny,” he wrote. He did add a laughing emoji in his response to Gauff’s complaint however.
