"Lack of responsibility", "Therapy isn't a cure"- Fans debate Iga Swiatek's psychologist's "national treasure" take on Paris Olympics heartbreak

Iga Swiatek's psychologist Daria Abramowicz recently said that the World No. 1's status in Poland often makes things stressful for her on the tennis court. The psychologist's admission came in the aftermath of Swiatek's seemingly inevitable march to the Paris Olympics women's singles final coming to a grinding halt in the semifinals. While some fans empathized with Abramowicz over her take, others criticized her.

Iga Swiatek got off to a dreadful start to her semifinal showdown against Zheng, ultimately losing the first set 2-6. However, she seemed to have recovered from the uncharacteristic wobble as she stormed to a 4-0 second-set lead.

The tables didn't take long to turn though, as the Chinese produced a mix of crafty and aggressive tennis to eventually steal the set 7-5 from a desperately dejected Swiatek.

Later, Abramowicz, Swiatek's psychologist and among the most critically important members in the Pole's team, talked about the weight of expectations on the five-time Major winner, particularly in her native Poland. The psychologist went on to say that "it's difficult to do anything about external expectations" and instead, the team's focus is on managing them for Iga Swiatek's sake to the best of their abilities.

"We have already talked about how some people call Iga a "national treasure". In a sense, this is taking away the athlete's autonomy and the chance todo something for themselves . However, it is difficult to do anything about external expectations that grow with the level and scale of success. This is how the world works . We can only look for strategies to manage them," Abramowicz told Rzeczpospolita Sport.

One set of fans turned critical towards Daria Abramowicz, opining that it was her duty and responsibility to strengthen Iga Swiatek's mentality even in the face of external expectations.

"Damn she seems lack of responsibility with that statement. This excuses about 'expectation and pressure' is getting boring. The team keep acting like it's new for them when it's been around for 2+ years," a fan wrote.

"Just like she's the first to take all credit when things go well, maybe she should be a bit more self-critical and also recognize that her work was just not effective this week. She's basically saying there's nothing you can do against "unrealistic" expectations?" asked an annoyed fan.

"Every time I read some interview with Daria all I see is she talks a lot,but there is no sense for me. She talks in circles and uses big,flashy words,but I still don't know what she means," another fan chimed in.

However, another set of fans defended Abramowicz, suggesting that the psychologist was doing her best but that doesn't always translate to success on the court.

"She said its hard, not that you can't do anything. Mental workout is a long term process. Saying that it failed this week is just silly for me. Besides, Iga got herself together after the crushing defeat and won a medal the next day. I call it success," wrote a fan.

"I’m not a fan of Daria but therapy isn’t a cure, it’s a tool. You can take meds and get treatment for something like anxiety or depression, but that doesn’t ever make it go completely away. Stress also triggers mental health issues that are otherwise under control," another fan commented.

"Well, if Iga is satisfied with their work together, I think she is the only one who can say if it's efficient or not, not us . The work with Daria has helped, and probably still helps, but it can't immediately solve everything," another fan weighed in.

Iga Swiatek ends Paris Olympics campaign with bronze medal; withdraws from National Bank Open in Toronto citing fatigue

Iga Swiatek celebrates winning the women's singles bronze medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics (Source: Getty)

Iga Swiatek was back at her devastating best in the third-place match against fellow losing semifinalist Anna Karolina Schmiedlova. The Pole brushed aside the Slovakian 6-2, 6-1 to clinch the bronze medal, later admitting that she would have cried for days had she been unable to win the third-place encounter.

Later, the World No. 1 announced via a Tennis Canada news release that she would not be featuring at the 2024 National Bank Open in Toronto.

"I’m sorry to announce that due to overall fatigue caused by the last couple of weeks on the court I need to withdraw from the tournament in Toronto. Due to an intense tennis schedule with the Olympics taking place this year and changing surfaces, I need more time to rest and recover in order to be ready to play the US swing in good health and at my best possible level," read Swiatek's announcement.

Following the Canadian Open, tennis action will go to Cincinnati for another prestigious tournament in the Western & Southern Open. Iga Swiatek reached the semifinals of the WTA 1000 in 2023 before narrowly losing to eventual champion Coco Gauff. This remains her only defeat to the American.