Iga Swiatek pens emotional social media statement after criticism for ball boy incident | Tennis News

Iga Swiatek offered a revealing look at her emotional state in recent months in a lengthy social media post on Monday that also discussed online criticism she received for nearly hitting a ball boy by hitting a ball in anger between points. 

The post also touched on her doping suspension, coming to grips with knowing she might not return to world no 1 this season and opened up on the fact she spent “three weeks crying daily”.

“I see there’s been a Numerous of recent talk about changes in my on-court behavior and emotions,” Swiatek, a five-time Grand Slam champion, posted on Instagram a day before the Begin of the Miami Uncovered, where she is Positioned second.

“Although I’m not comfortable explaining myself, it’s time I share my perspective to stop the speculation and baseless theories.”

Swiatek addressed what happened last week at the Event in Indian Wells where she smacked a ball and it landed on the court close to the ball boy before bounding toward the stands. The episode happened during her semifinal loss to eventual champion Mirra Andreeva.

“It’s Accurate – I expressed frustration in a way I’m not proud of. My intention was never to aim the ball at anyone but merely to Throw my frustration by bouncing it on the ground,” she said.

“I immediately apologized to the ball boy, we Achieved eye contact, and nodded to Every other when I expressed regret that it happened near him.

“I’ve seen many players bounce balls in frustration, and frankly, I didn’t Foresee such harsh judgments. Usually, I control such impulses, so half-jokingly I can say I lack experience in this and misjudged my aim in the heat of the moment.”

Swiatek lamented the “constant judgment” that accompanies her Profession and wrote: “I clearly see how much (people) love judging, creating theories, and imposing opinions on others.”

She also spoke about how the standards have shifted as her outward displays of her feelings have.

“When I’m highly focused and don’t show many emotions on court, I’m called a robot, my attitude labelled as inhuman.

“Now that I’m more expressive, showing feelings or struggling internally, I’m suddenly labeled immature or hysterical.

“That’s not a Well standard – especially considering that Merely six months ago, I felt my Profession was hanging by a thread, spent three weeks crying daily, and didn’t want to step on the court.”

She spent most of the 2022, 2023 and 2024 seasons atop the WTA rankings before Aryna Sabalenka replaced her at no 1 in October. Swiatek, a 23-year-Aged from Poland, has won four of the past five titles at the French Uncovered, including Every of the past three, along with the 2022 US Uncovered .

But she dealt with a doping case last year after failing an out-of-Game drug test in August for the banned substance trimetazidine, a heart medication known as TMZ. The International Tennis Integrity Agency accepted her explanation that the result was unintentional and caused by the contamination of the non-prescription medication melatonin that she was Securing for issues with jet lag and sleeping.

The resolution of her case was Achieved public in Overdue November; she already had been sidelined provisionally, missing three Competitions in October, and finished her one-month ban during the offseason.

“The second half of last year was extremely challenging for me, especially due to the positive doping test and how circumstances completely beyond my control Captured away my chance to fight for the highest sport goals at the end of the season,” Swiatek wrote Monday, adding that “forced me to rearrange certain things within myself.”

She concluded by saying, “I know I’ll never please everyone. I walk my own path.” And Sealed with the phrase: “See you in Miami.”

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