Iga Swiatek rebukes critics after ending 11-month title drought
Iga Swiatek beat Elena Rybakina 6-2, 6-3 to win the Canadian Open on Thursday night and, after flying to Cincinnati by midday on Friday, spoke out against critics and the scrutiny she has faced. “Sometimes we need to fight things that we shouldn’t,” she said.
The victory was Swiatek’s first title in 11 months and her first since beginning work with new coach Francisco Roig. Swiatek’s profile in Poland has grown to the point where she rarely goes out in public, and the additional scrutiny surrounding her results and decisions has intensified during a difficult period on tour.
On court after sealing the win, Swiatek let loose a visceral reaction—screaming toward her team, pointing to her head and pumping her fist—and later explained that the emotion was rooted in anger at doubting voices. “After I won, I kind of let myself feel it [anger] a little bit because there are plenty of things that athletes, not only athletes, all the people have to struggle with,” she said.
Swiatek described limits to what she will tolerate from the media around her private life and recounted an incident involving paparazzi after Miami. “I can accept it when it’s like at work or when I’m going to practise and everything, but for example, like when it’s close to my home or when I’m having just a walk with a friend or with a family member I’d rather them not doing that, because it’s my time off,” she said. “I had an incident, actually, after Miami, when I was home, when paparazzi followed me almost to my apartment. But I stopped them, and I said: ‘OK, tomorrow I’m going to practise. You can make photos of me when I go there, but this is off limits.’ So also they kind of understand sometimes. And I think I understand what their job is about, and we can have a nice, even cooperation if they want to be supportive.”
She acknowledged that criticism of elite athletes is a wider phenomenon but said the negative attention from home had been especially troubling for her and her team, including scrutiny over the role of her psychologist, Daria Abramowicz. “That’s an interesting question, I think, for a sociologist or someone, because honestly, it’s not only in Poland, but in Great Britain as well, in different countries, for different sports, not only for individual athletes. “There is unfair judgment from different parts coming to us, and we need to handle it. For sure, last month I faced it, my team faced it. My goal was for it to not interrupt my process and define who I am. Being sure about my decisions, not letting this disrupt anything and focus on growing because it’s just the world that we live in. It shouldn’t be like that so I took yesterday’s opportunity to just talk about it a little bit more even if it helps one person, or one young athlete knows that we all try to do something with it, maybe it will help a little bit.”
Swiatek finished the match at about 7.30pm and completed her press commitments around 10pm on Thursday; by midday on Friday she had packed, taken a private jet to Cincinnati provided by the tournament, and was speaking to the media ahead of her title defence in Ohio. “It’s intense, but it’s OK,” said Swiatek. “I’ll find my time to appreciate what happened and to be grateful about it, for sure. Because without it, it doesn’t make sense to keep going. You need to get a taste of these moments and remember them.”
She will begin her title defence in Cincinnati after addressing the media in Ohio, and said she will make time to value the victory despite the compressed schedule.