Iga Swiatek: Time to stop the hate flowing in the direction of a champion who deserves better
Tennis history will treat Iga Swiatek with much more respect than she has received from some in the sport over the last few years.
At the age of 23, this brilliant Polish player has a record that already puts her among the greats of the game, with her four French Open wins at Roland Garros backed up by a US Open win in 2022 and as long reign as world No 1.
Yet for some reason, Swiatek’s face does not fit for critics who appear to take great delight in his defeats.
In a story that replicates that of 2021 US Open champion Emma Raducanu, too many unpleasant social media hawks go out of their way to lambaste Swiatek and they have been especially vocal over the last 12 months.
Since her brilliant win at Roland Garros at year ago, Swiatek has not won another title and her defeats against Jelena Ostapenko in Stuttgart last month and the 6-1, 6-1 drubbing at the hands of Coco Gauff at the Madrid Open confirmed that she is more vulnerable that ever since her rise to the top of the women’s game.
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Even on her favoured clay surface, Swiatek has looked lost at times and it is clear that there is more to her slide in fortunes than just a dip in form.
Her unfortunate failed doping test last year rattled this complex character, even though it was later proved she was not responsible for the positive doping test after she took a medication that was contaminated.
This episode and some negative reports surrounding her personal life added to a mix of negativity flying in Swiatek’s direction, which inspired her to post an emotional message on Instagram pleading for a break in the swipes.
“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,” she wrote.
“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. 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. 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.”
She went to make some strong points as she added: “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 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.”
Despite that appeal, the snipes have continued to come her way on social media and now the pressure seems to be getting the better of her after that heavy defeat against Gauff in the Spanish capital.
The critics delighting in Swiatek’s slide in fortunes and potential rankings collapse over the next few weeks as she looks to defend her Italian Open and French Open titles need to appreciate that behind the sporting story is a personal tale that needs to be treated with care.
Swiatek appeared to break down on court during her defeat against Gauff in Madrid and the tennis family should speak out against the snipers keen to hide behind their social media names to add to the distress one of the game’s biggest stars is enduring.
