Iga Swiatek opened up about the rollercoaster of emotions she’s been grappling with over the past few months, touching on everything from a doping suspension to the daunting realization that she might not reclaim her No. 1 ranking this season. In a candid social media post on Monday, she even talked about a period when daily tears were the norm. She also addressed the online backlash she faced following a moment of frustration on the court when she nearly hit a ball boy.
“There’s been a lot of buzz lately about changes in how I behave and express my feelings during matches,” Swiatek, with five Grand Slam titles to her name, shared on Instagram. This comes just before the Miami Open, where she’s seeded second. “I’m usually not one to explain myself publicly, but it’s time to set the record straight and quash some of the unfounded stories.”
Swiatek reflected on an incident that occurred last week at Indian Wells, California. In a moment of frustration during her semifinal match against eventual winner Mirra Andreeva, she struck a ball that landed close to a ball boy before bouncing away.
“I was frustrated and acted in a way I’m not proud of. There was no intention to aim the ball at anyone; I just wanted to let off some steam. As soon as it happened, I apologized directly to the ball boy. We made eye contact, and I could see he understood I was genuinely sorry,” Swiatek admitted. “I’ve seen many players act out like this, and honestly, I didn’t expect such a strong reaction. I usually manage to keep these impulses in check, but this time I misjudged.”
Swiatek voiced her frustration with the constant scrutiny she faces, saying, “I notice how eager people are to judge, make assumptions, and voice their opinions.”
She spoke about the shifting expectations over how she expresses her emotions.
“When I’m laser-focused and don’t show much emotion, I’m called a robot, and that’s seen as negative. But when I’m more open with my emotions or seem to struggle, suddenly I’m seen as immature or overreacting,” Swiatek said. “This isn’t a fair standard, especially since not too long ago, I was going through such a tough time that I questioned my future in tennis. I spent weeks in tears and couldn’t bring myself to play.”
Swiatek dominated the rankings for most of 2022, 2023, and 2024, before Aryna Sabalenka took the top spot in October. The 23-year-old from Poland has an impressive record at the French Open, winning four of the last five titles, including a streak of three in a row, as well as the 2022 US Open.
Last year, Swiatek faced a doping challenge when a drug test came back positive for trimetazidine, a heart medication. It was determined the result stemmed from accidental contamination of her melatonin supplements. The International Tennis Integrity Agency accepted her explanation, and it was publicly disclosed in late November. By then, she had already missed three tournaments and served her one-month suspension during the offseason.
“The latter part of last year was incredibly hard, especially after the doping ordeal and having my season ambitions taken away by factors completely out of my control,” Swiatek reflected in her post, noting it forced her to rethink certain aspects of her life.
She concluded on an empowering note: “I can’t make everyone happy. I have my own journey,” ending with a nod to the upcoming Miami tournament: “See you in Miami.”
