Iga Swiatek makes ‘deeply upset’ confession over No 1 ranking in heartfelt post

Iga Swiatek has hit back at the “unhealthy standards” and “constant judgment” that she faces, stating the criticism of her recent on-court behaviour and emotions are over the top.

The five-time Grand Slam winner came in for criticism during her Indian Wells Open semi-final defeat to Mirra Andreeva after she smashed a ball from a ball kid on the ground and it came close to hitting the youngster.

She was booed by those in the stands while social media users also slammed her over the “ugly and dangerous” incident.

There have also been a few other contentious moments involving the world No 2 as she smashed her racket during her loss to Jelena Ostapenko at the Qatar Open.

In a passionate Instagram post, Swiatek wrote: “I see there’s been a lot of recent talk about changes in my on-court behaviour and emotions. Although I’m not comfortable explaining myself, it’s time I share my perspective to stop the speculation and baseless theories.

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

Swiatek has not won a title since she successfully defended her French Open crown in June last year as she endured a difficult final few months of the 2024 season following her failed drug test in August.

She returned a positive sample for the banned substance trimetazidine, but she was cleared of any wrongdoing as her melatonin medication was found to be contaminated.

The Pole was given a three-month ban and missed a series of high-profile tournaments, resulting in her losing the world No 1 ranking to Aryna Sabalenka and she admits she has produced “weaker performances” recently.

The 23-year-old continued: “Secondly, regarding emotional expression. 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, 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.”

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Swiatek’s recent on-court behaviour is in contrast to her usually calm demeanour when under pressure, but the criticism has now gone from one extreme to another.

In the past she was accused of being a robot and now she is suddenly too expressive on court.

“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.

“Sport is not played by robots. I’ve had three incredible seasons, but nothing comes effortlessly, and there’s no guarantee results will always be easy or under control. That’s life, and that’s sport. Sometimes even I forget that.”

“Secondly, constant judgment. 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 labelled immature or hysterical.

“That’s not a healthy standard – 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 everything I’ve been through, I’m still processing and coming to terms with those experiences.

“Will sharing this change anything? Probably not, because I clearly see how much we love judging, creating theories, and imposing opinions on others. But perhaps a few people who genuinely want to understand what I’m experiencing will understand this.

“In any case, this external standard is definitely not my standard, and I don’t accept my team and me being boxed into external expectations.

“Nevertheless, to those fans who truly support me, I deeply thank you and want you to know how grateful I am for your kindness. I know I’ll never please everyone. I walk my own path.

“I strive to bring joy to fans watching my matches and to inspire kids by setting a positive example. I work hard on myself and set ambitious goals-perhaps sometimes too ambitious. But I truly believe that even if I occasionally take two steps forward and one step back, I’ll reach these goals at my own pace.”