"Now that results dipped, suddenly she's blamed": Iga Swiatek shuns significant negative attention around psychologist Daria Abramowicz

After losing to Magda Linette in Miami, Iga Swiatek seeked to change her team and as a result, she sacked Wim Fissette but her changed remained unchanged apart from that.

Psychologist Daria Abramowicz has long been under scrutiny as the reason behind Swiatek's current downfall on the court where she went from being the imperious World No.1 to chasing Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina to be the top player in WTA Tennis.

But Swiatek speaking in a lengthy interview with Sportpl said that she is fed up of the narrative in Polish media surrounding sensationalist stories and that people who have known her since she was a child are now challenging her judgement.

"I’ve been in the public eye for a long time, but I’m increasingly shocked by what people post online. It feels like it’s going in a very bad direction. People who saw me when I was 10 or 12 are suddenly asked who I “really” am and what I should do with my life. It’s absurd—like asking a kindergarten teacher what a child is like as an adult," she said translated to English from Polish.

"The internet doesn’t work logically. It doesn’t allow for mistakes or time to understand things. It just judges and very harshly. Many articles are created for business reasons—clicks, money, sensational headlines, sometimes even misleading ones. I wish more people in Poland truly understood tennis.

"Only my closest circle knows my doubts and plans. Most of the time I need to focus on myself, not explain tennis to everyone. We deserve some space and basic respect. Unfortunately, that respect is often missing.

"I decide who I work with. Most negative things I’ve seen are fake news or made-up theories. People don’t know how it works. I make the decisions. I have experienced people around me—my management team, my fitness coach Maciek Ryszczuk, and Daria. Earlier, she was credited for my success. Now that results dipped, suddenly she’s blamed. But I rely on my own judgment."

But on her split with Wim Fissette, something was made unequivocally clear, it wasn't a snap decision on her part and that it wasn't based off one loss. She said that even losing to Maria Sakkari in Doha was a catalyst to rethink how she would approach herself and her game and going forward.

"That’s between us. I don’t want to go into details. It’s definitely not something someone like me decides after one loss. I wouldn’t make such a decision impulsively. Sometimes people see me as emotional, but I really don’t make decisions on impulse. I’m quite rational. I like to give myself time. Also, I don’t make many changes in my team. I think that’s a good approach. I like giving the team a chance to “reset” and start working differently."

"But in this case, I felt it was simply time for a change. It wasn’t a decision made in Miami, it was a longer process. During the tournament in Doha, I realised I didn’t feel as good on court as before. Of course, there can be different reasons at different tournaments, sometimes lack of focus, sometimes my forehand wasn’t working, sometimes something else. That happens. But I felt I wasn’t playing well overall, and that started to affect my confidence.

"After the loss to Maria Sakkari, we sat down and talked for a long time. We considered what to change and how to approach the next week so I could return to my solid game. And before Indian Wells, we did make some progress. But when I looked at everything as a whole, I concluded I needed a change. Honestly, I learned a lot about myself during this process. It lasted several weeks, with ups and downs, different approaches and moments of doubt."

One thing she has made clear though perhaps amid rumours of Piotr Wozniacki and even now Francisco Roig being lined up, she said that she does not hold the level of disrespect to do members of her team dirty by discussing future partnerships behidnd their back.

"I couldn’t do that behind my team’s back. I’m honest with the people I work with. Of course, I’m aware of what’s happening on the coaching market—we’re on tour almost all year. I asked a few experienced people on the WTA Tour for opinions. I was thinking about a change, but I wasn’t actively searching. When you work with someone, you have to give it a chance and trust them.

"At the same time, I was still competing in tournaments where I wanted to play well, so I tried to stay present and focused. Maybe that’s why it didn’t go perfectly—it’s hard to completely block out all thoughts. But I tried."

What she wants though is going back to basics and not allowing herself to be anything other than solid which is when she plays her best tennis. "I want to return to solid fundamentals and feel like a wall on court again—making very few mistakes and forcing opponents to make them. I’ve always had that. That was my advantage—I applied pressure.

I feel tennis gives me the most joy when I’m solid. When I’m not, I take unnecessary risks and make more mistakes. I want to get that solidity back. But that requires work. If you don’t feel comfortable on court, you need to work hard. There are also moments when everything starts clicking—then you can add new elements and develop new skills. I’d like more variety and to use in matches what I practise—but for now, I’m focused mainly on hard work and rebuilding consistency.

But while that is the case, she said that any sort of reports linking her to speaking to Nadal will be kept private and that they shouldn't be read into.

"Rafa is my idol and basically the only player I watched as a child. He’s been kind enough to talk to me during his career and give me advice. He’s someone I can turn to.

"Help from someone so experienced—the GOAT—is an amazing opportunity. He’s very open and a great person. Just having his number is an honour. But whether he helped me or not—I’d rather keep that private."