“Immediately apologised to ball boy” – Swiatek comes clean on emotional struggles, Indian Wells outburst

Iga Swiatek released a lengthy note on social media a couple of days after nearly hitting a ball boy at Indian Wells Tennis Garden

March 09, 2025 - Iga Swiatek from Poland during his third round match against Dayana Yastremska at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, CA.

Ayush Vashistha

March 18, 2025

Iga Swiatek came clean on her recent emotional struggles by releasing a lengthy note on social media on Monday, a couple of days after her outburst at the Indian Wells Open.

Swiatek lost her cool while facing teen sensation and eventual champion Mirra Andreeva in the WTA 1000 event’s semi-finals and smashed a ball tossed to her by a volunteer, fortunately missing the boy narrowly. She quickly became the subject of harsh criticism following the episode.

In the latest development, she took to Instagram and responded to her critics, condemning the manner in which she is being judged for the incident.

“I see there’s been a lot of recent talk about changes in my on-court behavior and emotions,” Swiatek wrote. “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.”

Polish tennis star Iga Swiatek drew harsh boos during her match Friday when she aggressively hit a ball toward a ball boy in frustration. pic.twitter.com/byu7zr6Z8K
— Mediaite (@Mediaite) March 17, 2025

More excerpts from Iga Swiatek’s note

“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.”

“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 daily, and didn’t want to step on the court.”

“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.”