Iga Swiatek bluntly calls out double standards imposed on her by fans calling her 'robot' or 'hysterical'

Iga Swiatek made her frustration known to fans for seemingly showing her no mercy and calling her a 'robot' and 'hysterical' due to her attitude on the court. The 23-year-old opened up on what mental turmoil these judgments bring while also talking about her past struggles that are often overlooked by the critics.

The Pole had a difficult end to the 2024 season as she tested positive for Trimetazidine, a restricted drug in August. This was followed by her facing a provisional suspension from September 12 to October 4, 2024, by the ITIA (International Tennis Integrity Agency). The tennis star hoped to have an impactful 2025 season by putting everything behind. But the ordeal still appears to be taking its toll on her performances.

In a detailed post, Swiatek revealed how people turn a blind eye to her challenges and constantly criticize her for her behavior. She took to Instagram to address how the double standards in criticism affect her and how she feels fans misjudge her focused attitude for robotic behavior or call her immature, as per their convenience.

"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," she said.

She also shared how she is still not over her tumultuous 2024 season.

"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. Today, after everything I've been through, I'm still processing and coming to terms with those experiences," added Swiatek. (Excerpt from post)

Iga Swiatek also shed light on how she is working on herself.

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"Sport is not played by robots": Iga Swiatek

Iga Swiatek at the 2025 United Cup- Source: Getty

Iga Swiatek highlighted how working on oneself is a continuous process and something she too is trying to achieve, through her Instagram post.

"Working on oneself isn't something you achieve once and keep forever. Sometimes we take two steps forward and one step back," she said.

She added how results in sports are not constant even for the best of players, underlining her success in past seasons and how this one hasn't been up to the mark.

"Sport is not played by robots. I've had three incredible seasons, but nothing comes effortlessly, and there's no guarantee results will always be easy or under control. That's life, and that's sport," she added.

The Pole is looking forward to making an impact in the upcoming and favored clay court leg of the season.