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Several tennis fans have expressed dismay at Iga Swiatek’s confession after her mostly successful fortnight in Doha and Dubai.
Swiatek scored highly impressive victories during the 2023 Dubai Tennis Championships and her successful title defense at the Qatar Open. The World No. 1, however, concluded her run in the Middle East with a loss, as she fell short in her final match in Dubai against Barbora Krejcikova.
Swiatek made a heartfelt post on Monday (February 27), reflecting on her matches in the past two tournaments, a few of which she played while dealing with a cold.
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“These last few weeks were intense, and challenging but we did a lot of good work and progress,” Iga Swiatek wrote. “I enjoyed tournaments in Doha and Dubai and even though I lost the final in Dubai my level was good despite the infection and I gave it all I could at the moment.”
The Pole also opened up about feeling the pressure of people’s growing expectations from her. She reminded her fans that she was only human and that the only thing she had in her control was her dedication and effort.
“I can see that some of you have higher expectations of me but well… I’m just human,” she continued. “At the end of the day that is all I can control. My effort and engagement. Thank you all for the support and see you soon! #marathonnotsprint #notarobot."
Tennis fans were upset at hearing about Iga Swiatek’s struggle with people’s expectations, and expressed their feelings about it.
"The fact that she was reading some ugly comments after she have her all is killing me… even her biggest fans can be really cruel sometimes and expect the best results. right now i just want her to be happy and healthy, that’s all," one fan said.
"This is so heartbreaking actually," another fan confessed.
Here are a few more reactions from fans:
Iga Swiatek gears up to defend her titles in Indian Wells and Miami
Iga Swiatek produced some exceptional results in 2022, winning six back-to-back titles (and eight overall) starting with Qatar. She went on a 37-match winning streak, which included titles at Indian Wells, Miami, Stuttgart, Rome, and the French Open.
The World No. 1 will thus have her work cut out for her in 2023, beginning with the WTA 1000 title defense in Indian Wells between March 6-19. This will be followed by an attempt to win the Sunshine Double yet again, with her title defense at the Miami Open between March 19-April 4.
