Swiatek defends herself against criticism for her recent behavior: "Now that I am more expressive.."

Andrés Tomás Rico | 17 Mar 2025 | 22.17

Swiatek defends herself against criticism for her recent behaviors: "Now that I am more expressive..." Photo: Getty Images

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In recent days, the name of Iga Swiatek has been heard more for her recent on-court behavior than for her performance on it. Despite showing great tennis in the past two weeks at Indian Wells, the world number two succumbed to Mirra Andreeva in the semifinals of the Californian tournament. The young player, coached by Conchita Martínez, displayed an exceptional level against the Polish player, who became frustrated as she was unable to harm the Russian opponent.

Her frustration reached a point where she almost took it out on one of the ball boys. He handed her a ball, and Swiatek, in a reproachable but understandable act within the context of the match, hit it against the floor, passing very close to the boy. This action stirred controversy online, and the five-time Grand Slam champion defended herself with a lengthy and profound statement posted on her social media.

"I see that there is a lot of talk lately about changes in my behavior on the court and my emotions. Although I don't feel comfortable giving explanations, it's time for me to share my point of view to put an end to the speculations and unfounded theories. Firstly, regarding the incident in my last game. It's true: I expressed my frustration in a way I'm not proud of. My intention was never to aim the ball at anyone, but simply to release my frustration by bouncing it off the floor. I immediately apologized to the ball boy—we made eye contact and greeted each other with a nod when I expressed my regret for it happening near him. I've seen many players bounce balls in frustration, and frankly, I didn't expect such harsh judgment. I usually control those impulses, so half-jokingly, I can say that I lack experience in this and misjudged my aim in the heat of the moment," stated Swiatek.

"The second half of the year was extremely difficult for me"

However, she seizes the opportunity to address a complex issue like her positive case at the end of 2024, for which she was banned for a few weeks: "The second half of last year was extremely difficult for me, mainly due to the positive result in the doping control and how circumstances completely beyond my control deprived me of the opportunity to compete for the highest sporting goals at the end of the season. This forced me to reorganize certain things within myself. In Australia, after weaker performances in previous years, I played without expectations, focusing solely on my work, accepting that another Australian Open might not turn out as I wanted despite my efforts. Thanks to this mindset, I performed very well and was close to reaching the final."

The next point she addresses in her statement is about the constant change in the women's circuit and the difficulty of adapting to the circumstances and the pressure of meeting expectations: "I face new elements of this puzzle all the time: circumstances change, my experiences evolve, I evolve, opponents evolve, and I must constantly adapt. It's never easy, and now it's particularly difficult for me. There are no robots in sports. I've had three incredible seasons, but nothing is achieved without effort, and there is no guarantee that results will always be easy or under control. That's life, that's sports. Sometimes even I forget it."

"Now that I'm more expressive suddenly, I'm labeled immature or hysterical"

She ends her letter where she began, with her incident with the ball boy at Indian Wells and the criticism she has received for that behavior. The Polish player took the chance to defend herself: "When I'm very focused and don't show many emotions on the court, they call me a robot, label my attitude as inhumane. Now that I'm more expressive, show feelings or struggle internally, suddenly I'm labeled as immature or hysterical. It's not a healthy norm, especially considering that just six months ago I felt my career was hanging by a thread, spent three weeks crying daily, and didn't want to step on the court. Today, after all that I've been through, I'm still processing and assimilating those experiences."

"Will sharing this change anything? Probably not because I clearly see how much we enjoy judging, creating theories, and imposing opinions on others. But perhaps some people who truly want to understand what I'm going through will understand. In any case, this external standard is definitely not mine, and I do not accept that my team and I are pigeonholed into external expectations," stated Swiatek, who is now facing complaints not only for her erratic play at the beginning of this year but also for her behavior on the court.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Swiatek se defiende ante las críticas por sus últimos comportamientos: "Ahora que soy más expresiva…"