It came as no surprise that almost a year of pent-up emotion exploded from Iga Swiatek the moment she slotted her final backhand winner to clinch the Canadian Open title by defeating Elena Rybakina in two clean sets on Thursday night.
As she screamed towards her team members on her corner of the court, pointed to her head and furiously pumped her fist, though, it was the tenor of Swiatek’s emotion that made her reaction noteworthy: she was angry. Her anger, she explained later, stemmed from the doubtful, disapproving voices she has heard throughout these difficult periods, most of it coming from viewers and the media alike in Poland.
“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. “Sometimes we need to fight things that we shouldn’t.”
Considering her generational achievements, Swiatek is one of the most famous people in Poland, and certainly one of the country’s most famous athletes. Her fame has reached a point where she rarely ventures outside when in her home country, only really going to her friends’ apartments or inviting them to hers, to avoid being watched. Last year, Swiatek explained how she had to negotiate with paparazzi after they took photos of her apartment building.
“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.”
While fame is something that Swiatek has had to accept, the additional scrutiny that comes with her status is what she refuses to tolerate. Practically every tennis player receives some level of social media abuse, hate and threats, one of the many pressing issues in the sport, but the criticism Swiatek receives is distinct because of the amount that comes from home. Every result and decision is the subject of intense public scrutiny, something that has increased during her more difficult past two years on tour, and they have further complicated her attempts to rediscover her confidence. One of the biggest points of contention has been her relationship with her team, with ample focus on the role of her psychologist, Daria Abramowicz. Asked why so much negativity comes from home, which should be a safe space, Swiatek shrugs: “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.”
This is a significant moment for Swiatek, her first title in 11 months and after so much enthusiasm about their partnership, her first alongside her new coach Francisco Roig. Such are the demands of this gruelling sport she had no time at all to savour it. Swiatek closed out her 6-2, 6-3 win over Rybakina at about 7.30pm and her press duties ended around 10pm on Thursday.
By midday on Friday, she had packed her bags, taken a private jet to Cincinnati, provided by the tournament, and was addressing the media before 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.”
