Iga Swiatek gets Ted Lasso “positivity” boost with Jason Sudeikis shoutout at US Open

The harder she works, the luckier she gets?

Five-time Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek is taking a page out of the Ted Lasso playbook, as she channeled one of her favorite television shows on route to the US Open quarterfinals. The world No. 1 was beaming on Monday evening after she learned that actor Jason Sudeikis, the series' star and executive producer, had been spotted by cameras inside Arthur Ashe Stadium.

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“I hear you’re a fairly big Ted Lasso fan; Jason Sudeikis is here tonight,” Rennae Stubbs pointed out during their on-court interview. The Pole shouted out the popular show’s “positivity” message, after her 6-4, 6-1 victory over Liudmila Samsonova sent her through to the last eight.

“I tried to avoid looking at the screens, but I saw him tonight when I was looking at the chair umpire. I saw him (on the screens) behind her,” Swiatek admitted.

“I wanted to stay focused, and I hope he appreciates my mentality because this is what Ted Lasso is all about.”

The beloved Apple TV series stars Sudeikis as an American football coach who moves to the U.K. to manage a struggling London football team. It’s one of a few feel-good television titles that Swiatek has been keeping on rotation, with classics like Modern Family and Friends also recently getting a mention.

Read More: Iga Swiatek is binging Modern Family as she storms through US Open swing

“It’s a totally different sport, because there it’s all about team spirit,” Swiatek said of Ted Lasso’s appeal. “Here, it’s a little bit as well with my team, but we’re alone on the court…

“I hope he enjoys, and that he’s not working right now on a new series or something.”

Good news for Swiatek, and all Ted Lasso fans: The show may be set to get a fourth season, with some original cast members reportedly signing on for an upcoming revival.

Even better news for Swiatek: The Pole has yet to drop a set at the year’s final Grand Slam, where she lifted her career's lone Grand Slam trophy on hard courts in 2022. Swiatek charged past Kamila Rakhimova, Ena Shibahara, and No. 25 seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, before taking down No. 16 seed Samsonova.

Swiatek will face No. 6 seed Jessica Pegula next for a spot in the US semifinals on Wednesday. She leads the American 6-3 in their head-to-head—which includes a 2022 US Open quarterfinal win, 6-3, 7-6 (4), on her way to the title.

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“Against Jessie, it's never easy,” Swiatek explained. “It's going to be, for sure, a tough one, because she plays really flat ball with no spin. You have to really work low on your legs.

“She's in a good rhythm right now, and she won so many matches past weeks, that for sure it's going to be a challenge.”

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