Iga Swiatek explained why she issued a statement following her incident during the 2025 Indian Wells Open.
For the third time this season, Swiatek was halted in the semi-finals. She lost at the WTA 1000 tournament in Indian Wells, falling to Mirra Andreeva.
During that match, the Polish player exhibited significant emotion. At one point in the third set, she angrily hit the ball into the ground, narrowly missing a ball boy, which prompted booing from the crowd.
Following the match, many fans criticized her behavior online, leading her to issue a public statement addressing the incident.
In her statement, Swiatek not only discussed the incident but also shared her recent struggles with her loyal fans.
Ahead of the 2025 Miami Open, the 23-year-old was asked about her statement during an interview with Sky Sports. Swiatek was inquired about the reasoning behind her “apology” after the incident.
At the beginning of the interview, the five-time Grand Slam champion clarified that she didn’t view it as an apology but rather as a way to clarify the situation.
“I wouldn’t say it was an apology. For sure, I was not happy with my behavior when I smashed the ball in the ground on the court. And I’ve seen other players do this, and I didn’t know I’m gonna have so many bad reactions.”
Swiatek aimed to provide fans with a glimpse into her emotional state on the court. While many associate her with calmness, she expressed that she, too, experiences anger.
“Because people got used to me being pretty stoic, and having a poker face and everything. But I’m a human being as well, and I have emotions sometimes. Sometimes, it’s easier to hold them inside. Sometimes it’s a little bit harder.”
“I just wanted to explain that I also, kind of, had eye contact with the ball boy and said sorry, so there was no ‘beef.’ And I also wanted to give my fans some perspective on what I’ve been dealing with for the past months and how I’ve been feeling, because I feel like people judge super quickly.”
The incident is now behind her, allowing Swiatek to focus on the upcoming tournament in Miami. As the second seed, she received a first-round bye and will face Caroline Garcia in the second round, who easily won her first match against Anna Bondar.
