“My intention was never to aim the ball at anyone”: Iga Swiatek breaks silence after ball kid incident at Indian Wells

Iga Swiatek issued a statement following her uncharacteristic reaction towards a ball kid at Indian Wells. The world No. 2, eliminated in the tournament’s semi-finals by Mirra Andreeva, lost her temper during the match.

The four-time Grand Slam champion showed signs of frustration throughout the match, and in the third set, she lashed out at one of the ball kids. After receiving the ball for her serve, the Pole slammed it hard against the ground, narrowly missing the child.

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The footage quickly spread across social media after the match, which ended with Andreeva’s 7-6, 1-6, 6-3 victory, sparking criticism for Swiatek, who is rarely seen acting this way on court.

After a couple of days of silence, Swiatek released a statement on social media to clear the air after taking some time to reflect. “I see there's been a lot of recent talk about changes in my on-court behavior and emotions. Although I'm not comfortable explaining myself, it's time I share my perspective to stop the speculation and baseless theories.”

“It’s true – I expressed frustration in a way I’m not proud of,” she wrote on her Instagram account. “My intention was never to aim the ball at anyone but merely to release my frustration by bouncing it on the ground. I immediately apologized to the ball boy, we made eye contact, and nodded to each other when I expressed regret that it happened near him."

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“I’ve seen many players bounce balls in frustration, and frankly, I didn’t expect such harsh judgments. Usually, I control such impulses, so half-jokingly I can say I lack experience in this and misjudged my aim in the heat of the moment.”

“I know that playing while stuck in past frustrations, over things beyond my control, isn't the right path. My team and I recognized this issue almost immediately (with their experience, probably faster than anyone could imagine), but shifting perspective takes significant time, effort, and team support,” she added.

The five-time Grand Slam champion opened up about the emotional challenges she has faced since the second half of 2024. It’s worth remembering that Swiatek tested positive for a banned substance, resulting in a short suspension that prevented her from competing in the Middle East swing and cost her the world No. 1 ranking just a week before the season-ending WTA Finals.

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“The second half of last year was extremely challenging for me, especially due to the positive doping test and how circumstances completely beyond my control took away my chance to fight for the highest sporting goals at the end of the season.

“This forced me to rearrange certain things within myself. In Australia, after weaker performances in previous years, I played without expectations, focused solely on my work, accepting that another Australian Open might not go my way regardless of my efforts. Thanks to this mindset, I performed very well and was close to reaching the final.”

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“In the Middle East, however, it struck me hard that my positive test result case, missing two highly-ranked tournaments in October, and last year's exceptional results (winning four 1000-level tournaments and a Grand Slam in the first half of the season) will keep affecting my ranking and basically take away my chance for No. 1. This realisation deeply upset me. You could see this on the court in Dubai.”

Finally, the Pole thanked the fans who have supported her unconditionally: “I know I’ll never please everyone, I walk my own path. I strive to bring joy to fans watching my matches and to inspire kids by setting a positive example.”

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