As Iga Swiatek continues to deal with the fallout from her doping violations, retired American pro Andy Roddick believes the Polish star should contact ATP World No.1 Jannik Sinner to figure out how to best handle the public criticism.
Swiatek tested positive for a prohibited substance after the 2024 US Open, and was eventually handed a one-month ban, which ended on December 4, 2024. Conversely, Sinner also tested positive for a prohibited substance earlier this year at Indian Wells, and was given a provisional suspension in addition to being fined for violating the tour's doping policy.
Roddick believes Swiatek is overwhelmed by the public scrutiny
In an appearance on the Christian's Court YouTube channel, Roddick spoke on both Sinner and Swiatek's cases. The former World No.1 pointed out how both athletes reacted differently to the criticism received from colleages, the media and fans.
"We’ll see,” began Roddick. “Their personalities are a little bit different. Jannik Sinner is a little bit calmer, when I played I was pretty hyper and anxious. “I think Iga is [more similar], I’m not comparing myself to Iga as she is way better than I ever was, but her intensity is her calling card. Jannik was able to separate what is going on outside of the court versus the job I have to do on a day-to-day basis."
Roddick stated Swiatek should reach out to Sinner and figure out how to deal with the inevitable criticism that was yet to come.
"If I am Iga I am probably calling him and saying are there any hacks that have helped you deal with it the way you have?" he added. “You have almost got better in the post-mortem of the announcement. “There will certainly be things to deal with, she is going to get asked about it every time. It will be as if whoever has asked the question hasn’t been able to read her responses before, they are going to make her say it again and again. “If I’m in her corner I would just say don’t have a moment where you are exhausted by it, just be patient with the process and do what you have to do. The more emotion you show, the more likely it is to be a story over and over again.”
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