Iga Swiatek’s passionate pleas for respect appear to be falling on deaf ears

Iga Swiatek stepped out of her comfort zone to plead for a change in the media coverage she attracts and the time has come to show some respect to a player who has already given so much in the sport.

At the tender age of 23, Swiatek is a five-time Grand Slam winner, with that stunning record already placing her alongside Martina Hingis and Maria Sharapova in the list of all-time tennis greats.

Yet it has been evident from the moment she landed on the biggest stages in tennis that she does not enjoy the glare of the spotlight that inevitably falls on the sport’s biggest stars.

This reserved Polish superstar has grown into her role as one of the most recognisable faces in tennis, but she is still clearly uncomfortable when the narrative turns against her, as it did when she stuck a ball in anger in Indian Wells and nearly struck 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.”

It was an apology that many players would not have offered up and it came from a young woman clearly struggling to come to terms with a tumultuous few months in her life.

A positive doping test threw her world into chaos at the back end of 2024 and even though she was not to blame for the banned substance entering her system, it was another storm she did not want to be a part of.

When an incident like that occurs, you get a chance to gauge the level of support you have in the sport and it was noticeable that the media backing Iga was limited at best.

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She may be a great champion, but her popularity rating has never matched her success on court, with many fans and media struggling to warm to a player who is always generous with her time and doing her best to shine in an environment she does not enjoy.

“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.”

We often want our sports stars to express their inner feelings on court on during interviews and Swiatek did that with her Instagram post, but the reaction was not entirely positive.

Swiatek’s Instagram statement was questioned on the latest edition of the Served with Andy Roddick podcast, with the sportswoman who was pleading for support struggling to win over her doubters.

“Sport is not played by robots,” added Swiatek. “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 is 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.”

Stories emerging in recent days questioning the influence of psychologist Daria Abramowicz on Swiatek were another negative episode in the career of a player who has already won a staggering $35,035,177 and could happily walk away from the sport tomorrow if the negatives outweighed the positives.

So many young players step back from tennis when the pressure becomes too intense and we all have a responsibility to ensure Swiatek is not the next player who decides life away from tennis is more attractive than remaining on court.

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