Iga Swiatek przyznaje, że nie otrzymuje „idealnego” wsparcia w domu

Iga Swiatek made a passionate plea for her critics to give her some space in an Instagram post earlier this month and now she has opened up on why she opted to make that social media post post.

Many were surprised to read the long and heartfelt message from the world No 2, as he asked for some understanding after she stuck a ball in anger in Indian Wells that nearly hit a ball kid.

“First, about the incident during my last match. It’s true – I expressed frustration in a way I’m not proud of,” she wrote in a passionate statement on Instagram.

“My intention was never to aim the ball at anyone but merely to release my frustration by bouncing it on the ground.

“I immediately apologised to the ball boy, we made eye contact and nodded to each other when I expressed regret that it happened near him.

“I’ve seen many players bounce balls in frustration, and frankly, I didn’t expect 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.”

She went on to discuss her emotions and suggested the positive doping test she recorded at the back end of 2024 – for which she was subsequently clearly of wrongdoing – has taken a toll on her.

“Regarding emotional expression,” she said in her Instagram statement. “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 took away my chance to fight for the highest sporting goals at the end of the season.

“This forced me to rearrange certain things within myself. In Australia, after weaker performances in previous years, I played without expectations, and focused solely on my work, accepting that another Australian Open might not go my way regardless of my efforts. Thanks to this mindset, I performed very well and was close to reaching the final.

“In the Middle East, however, it struck me hard that my positive test result case, missing two highly-ranked tournaments in October, and last year’s exceptional results (winning four 1000-level tournaments and a Grand Slam in the first half of the season) will keep affecting my ranking and basically take away my chance for No 1.

“This realisation deeply upset me. You could see this on the court in Dubai.

“I know that playing while stuck in past frustrations, over things beyond my control, isn’t the right path. My team and I recognised this issue almost immediately (with their experience, probably faster than anyone could imagine), but shifting perspective takes significant time, effort, and team support.”

“Working on oneself isn’t something you achieve once and keep forever,” the Pole added. “Sometimes we take two steps forward and one step back.

“I’m facing 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 it’s particularly challenging for me right now.”

It is unusual for an elite athlete to make such public comments, but the negativity flowing towards her appears to be continuing, with reports in her native Poland last week questioning the influence of psychologist Daria Abramowicz on the five-time Grand Slam champion.