Iga Swiatek has shared a deeply personal message on social media, addressing recent criticism she faced after an incident where she nearly hit a ball boy. In her post, she provided insight into her emotional state over the past few months.
Swiatek`s statement also touched upon her previous doping suspension and her journey to accept the possibility of not regaining the world No. 1 ranking this season. She revealed that she experienced a period of `three weeks crying daily`, highlighting the intense emotional challenges she has been navigating.
`I`ve noticed a lot of discussion lately about changes in my behavior and emotions on the court,` the five-time Grand Slam champion wrote on Instagram, just before the Miami Open. She is seeded second in the tournament.
`Although I find it difficult to explain myself, I feel it`s necessary to share my perspective to put an end to speculation and unfounded theories,` she added.
Swiatek directly addressed the incident from the Indian Wells tournament the previous week. During her semifinal match against Mirra Andreeva, she hit a ball out of frustration, which landed close to a ball boy before going into the stands. This occurred during her loss to Andreeva, who eventually won the tournament.
`It`s true, I showed my frustration in a way that I`m not proud of. I never intended to hit anyone with the ball; my aim was simply to release my frustration by bouncing it on the ground,` she explained.
`I immediately apologized to the ball boy. We made eye contact, and I nodded to him to express my regret for the incident happening near him,` Swiatek continued.
`I`ve seen many players express frustration by bouncing balls, and honestly, I didn`t anticipate such strong criticism. Usually, I manage to control these impulses, so I can jokingly say I`m inexperienced in this and misjudged my aim in the heat of the moment.`
Swiatek expressed her frustration with the `constant judgment` she feels throughout her career, stating: `I clearly see how much people enjoy judging, creating theories, and imposing their opinions on others.`
She also discussed how expectations of her emotional displays have shifted.
`When I`m very focused and don`t show much emotion on the court, I`m called a robot, and my demeanor is seen as inhuman.`
`Now that I`m more expressive, showing my feelings or internal struggles, I`m suddenly labeled as immature or hysterical.`
`This is not a healthy standard, especially considering that just six months ago, I felt my career was in jeopardy, spent three weeks in tears every day, and didn`t even want to step onto the court.`
Aryna Sabalenka replaced Swiatek as world No. 1 in October, after Swiatek had held the top ranking for most of the 2022, 2023, and 2024 seasons. Swiatek, 23, from Poland, has an impressive record, including four French Open titles out of the last five, and the 2022 US Open.
Last year, she faced a doping case after testing positive for trimetazidine, a banned heart medication, in an out-of-competition test in August. The International Tennis Integrity Agency accepted her explanation that the positive result was unintentional, caused by contamination of melatonin medication she was using for jet lag and sleep issues.
The case was resolved publicly in late November. Swiatek had already been provisionally suspended, missing three tournaments in October, and completed her one-month ban during the off-season.
`The second half of last year was extremely difficult for me, particularly because of the positive doping test and how circumstances completely beyond my control prevented me from competing for the highest goals at the end of the season,` Swiatek wrote. She added that this experience `forced me to reconsider certain things within myself.`
She concluded her statement by saying, `I know I will never please everyone. I am following my own path,` and ended with, `See you in Miami.`
