Swiatek opens up: "When I don't show emotion, I'm called a robot, and when I'm more expressive, I'm labeled as hysterical or immature."
Eliminated in the semifinals of Indian Wells, Iga Swiatek has yet to win a single title this season.
During the semifinal loss to Andreeva, she notably came close to hitting a ball person in a moment of frustration. She addressed this incident on her Instagram account:
"It's true, I expressed frustration in a way I'm not proud of. My intention was never to hit the ball toward the ball person, but simply to bounce it on the ground.
I immediately apologized to the ball person, and we exchanged a nod. I've seen many players bounce the ball in frustration, and I didn't expect to receive so much criticism.
Normally, I manage to control my impulsiveness, but I can half-jokingly say that I lack experience with this kind of gesture."
The world No. 2 also responded to criticism about her on-court demeanor: "When I'm focused and show no emotion on the court, I'm called a robot, and my behavior is labeled as inhuman.
Now that I'm more expressive, showing feelings, I'm labeled as hysterical or immature.
This isn't healthy, because six months ago, I felt like my career was hanging by a thread. I spent three weeks crying every day and didn't want to step onto a court.
Will sharing this change anything? Probably not, because I can clearly see how much we love to judge, create theories, and impose opinions on others."
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I can't believe an international sports figure is worried about what other people think. At this point she had nothing to prove to anyone. She can't control what other people think. She needs to do what works for her winning matches. And if that's keeping emotions under check and being called a robot, so be it. There's plenty of time for emotions between matches.