World No. 2 Iga Swiatek admitted she wasn’t happy with her outburst at Indian Wells, the place a pissed off smash practically struck a ball boy.
However, the five-time Grand Slam champion mentioned she was shocked by the “harsh judgments” that adopted.
Swiatek confronted heavy criticism after the incident throughout her 7-6 (1), 1-6, 6-3 semifinal loss to eventual champion Mirra Andreeva on Friday.
“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,” Swiatek posted on Instagram on Monday.
“I instantly apologized to the ball boy. We made eye contact and nodded to one another once I expressed remorse that it occurred close to him.
“I’ve seen many players bounce balls in frustration, and frankly, I didn’t expect such harsh judgments.”
Swiatek added that the second half of final 12 months was extraordinarily difficult for her. She accepted a one-month suspension in November after testing optimistic for the banned substance trimetazidine.
“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,” Swiatek mentioned.
“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.”
Source: www.dailysabah.com