Iga Swiatek on criticism: ‘This is not right’
For the first time in seven years, Iga Swiatek did not secure a spot in the WTA Finals during the current season.
The Pole experienced inconsistent form throughout the year, particularly at the Grand Slam level. As the defending champion at Wimbledon, she exited in the third round, while her campaigns at the Australian Open, French Open, and US Open ended in the quarter-finals and fourth rounds respectively.
Her results drew significant criticism from various quarters. Some observers blamed her coach, Francisco Roig, for her struggles, whereas others identified her sports psychologist, Daria Abramowicz, as the source of the problem.
While some supporters held Swiatek personally responsible for her lack of success, the former world number one has now addressed her detractors to clarify her primary grievance.
Iga Swiatek doesn’t like when journalists are ‘mean and judgy’
“If I was a fan of someone, I would also be disappointed if they lost early and I did not have a chance to watch them. I guess people, after so many great tournaments that I had, started booking tickets only for the finals and semi-finals, and they are not quite aware that tennis is tough to be consistent,” said Swiatek on the ‘What’s the Point‘ podcast.
“I showed that I could be consistent maybe in 2022, 2023 and 2024, but it’s not like every year that I would be able to do that. I guess the understanding of why they expect me to be in the finals, and being more rational about it, is enough for me to be fine with it.
“Honestly, most of the things that fans do or say, I am totally fine with it. If I even read some comments on social media, obviously some of them are super hateful, and it’s not acceptable, but if it’s just being a bit judgy and them wanting to coach me, I can always just switch it around in my head and think that they care, so at least I had their support. Okay, maybe they don’t understand everything, but it’s okay.”
Although Swiatek generally accepts feedback from her supporters, she distinguishes this from media coverage that crosses a line. The Pole considers it ‘not right’ when reporters use harsh language regarding her performance.
“The only thing that hurts me a bit more is when the journalists are being mean and judgy, and they are supposed to be experts, but they have never been on tour or been in a tennis tournament,” said Swiatek.
“This is quite painful because I know they create opinions that are then read by fans, and the fans may believe it. I can totally understand the negative comments from the fans, but from people who are supposed to know something about the sport, if they do too many mean things, this is not right for me.”
Swiatek faced considerable scrutiny in 2026 after missing out on the WTA Finals, and she aims to reverse this trend in the upcoming year. Fortunately, her competitive level showed marked improvement during the latter half of the season…
The positive signs for Iga Swiatek despite ranking drop
Despite sitting at ninth in the world rankings, Swiatek’s trajectory appears to be upward. Her WTA 1000 outcomes showed substantial enhancement as the calendar year progressed, and maintaining this form into 2027 should see her return to the top five soon.
Official WTA Top 10
| Rank | Player | Country | Points |
| 1 | Elena Rybakina | Kazakhstan | 8,099 |
| 2 | Aryna Sabalenka | Belarus | 6,485 |
| 3 | Mirra Andreeva | Russia | 6,306 |
| 4 | Coco Gauff | USA | 5,763 |
| 5 | Jessica Pegula | USA | 5,760 |
| 6 | Elina Svitolina | Ukraine | 5,121 |
| 7 | Karolina Muchova | Czechia | 4,665 |
| 8 | Linda Noskova | Czechia | 4,343 |
| 9 | Iga Swiatek | Poland | 4,188 |
| 10 | Marta Kostyuk | Ukraine | 3,910 |
Official WTA Top 10
Iga Swiatek’s WTA 1000 results in 2026
- Qatar Open – Quarter-final (Lost to Maria Sakkari)
- Dubai Tennis Championships – Did not play
- Indian Wells – Quarter-final (Lost to Elina Svitolina)
- Miami Open – Second round (Lost to Magda Linette)
- Madrid Open – Third round (Lost to Ann Li)
- Italian Open – Semi-final (Lost to Elina Svitolina)
- Canadian Open – Champion
- Cincinnati Open – Semi-final (Lost to Jessica Pegula)
- China Open – Quarter-final (Lost to Elise Mertens)
- Wuhan Open – Semi-final (Lost to Maja Chwalinska)
Swiatek typically starts her campaign at the United Cup, a tournament Poland claimed in 2026; nevertheless, she is slated to travel to Brisbane in 2027 as an alternative. The 2027 Brisbane International tournament kicks off on January 3.
