Iga Swiatek explains her on-court behavior at Indian Wells and recent frustrations: “I walk my own path”

Iga Swiatek has opened up about an incident at the recent Indian Wells tournament in which she took her frustration out on a ball boy during her semi-final clash against Mirra Andreeva - an opponent she had lost to a few weeks earlier in Dubai.

The Russian teenager got the better of her again, winning the match 7-6(1), 1-6, 6-3 on an afternoon where nothing went right for the five-time Grand Slam champion. At one tense moment, one of the ball boys threw a ball to Swiatek, but instead of receiving it, she angrily slammed the ball into the ground. It bounced into the crowd, narrowly missing the ball boy but leaving him startled.

Swiatek issues public apology and explains her outburst

Swiatek received criticism for venting her anger at the ball boy, and took to Instagram to express her side of the story. “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,” she wrote.

“I immediately apologized to the ball boy, we made eye contact, and nodded to each other when I expressed regret that it happened near him,“ she continued. ”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”.

The 23-year-old also opened up about her recent dip in form, her positive doping test and admits feeling that sometimes people have double standards when judging her.

“When I’m highly focused and don’t show many emotions on court, I’m called a robot, my attitude labeled as inhuman. Now that I’m more expressive, showing feelings or struggling internally, I’m suddenly labeled 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 and didn’t want to step on the court".

Several commentators sympathized with her, could understand her frustration and accepted the public apology. Boris Becker wrote on X: “Lots of excuses and looooong explanations… not sure anymore! Usually always supporting the players! I wish Iga to find her peace on the tennis court! She is a proven champion!”

All set for the Miami Open

Iga hopes her statement will draw a line under the matter and is now focusing on competing at this week’s Miami Open - a tournament she won in 2022. She has received a bye to the second round, which gets underway on Thursday. Swiatek could face France’s Caroline Garcia, 70th in the WTA ranking or Hungary’s Anna Bondár, ranked 87th.

Get your game on! Whether you’re into NFL touchdowns, NBA buzzer-beaters, world-class soccer goals, or MLB home runs, our app has it all.

Dive into live coverage, expert insights, breaking news, exclusive videos, and more – plus, stay updated on the latest in current affairs and entertainment. Download now for all-access coverage, right at your fingertips – anytime, anywhere.