Iga Swiatek said she was not proud of the way she vented her frustration at Indian Wells, where she nearly hit a ball boy after smashing a ball into the ground, but added that she did not expect to receive "such harsh judgments."
The five-time Grand Slam tennis champion was criticized heavily over the incident, which occurred during her 7-6 (7/1), 1-6, 6-3 semi-final defeat by eventual champion Mirra Andreeva.
"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.
"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.
"I've seen many players bounce balls in frustration, and frankly, I didn't expect such harsh judgments."
The world number two added that the second half of last year was extremely challenging for her. She accepted a one-month suspension in November for having tested positive 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 said.
"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."
REUTERS
It has been a challenging time for Iga Swiatek. AFP
