Iga Swiatek‘s search for answers has not ended yet. Despite changing coaches after the North American hard-court swing and suffering a 4th round French Open defeat, the former world No. 1 found little escape from the relentless wave of criticism, especially online. And ahead of her title defense at SW19, she took aim at internet experts, speaking with striking and painful results about the psychological burden that comes with sporting fame.

Speaking with WP SportoweFakty, Iga added, “I’m more surprised by the hate from pseudo-experts who have a radical opinion – enough to appear in an article, in its headline – it’s hard for me to accept it.”

The 25-year-old Polish ace also reflected on the unrealistic standards placed on successful athletes. “If a person succeeds and wins, suddenly defeat is unacceptable. It’s not entirely human. Everyone makes mistakes, especially in sports.”

The 6-time Grand Slam winner also explained that professional players constantly face pressure to justify themselves. Every tournament they play seems to bring new questions about their performances and progress. “It’s not easy, especially in the era of social media, when we pick up the phone, we can come across an unpleasant headline or get an opinion from a fan that is not constructive and pleasant.”

And this was not the first time the 2025 Wimbledon champion had addressed the issue publicly. Last year, she took a stand against the abusive messages she received following her shocking performance at the year-end China Open.

A day after losing to former world No. 8 Emma Navarro in the R16, Iga shared screenshots of the harassment on social media. The posts revealed how some fans and bettors had turned their disappointment into hateful attacks online.

Reflecting on that difficult period from last year, Iga Swiatek acknowledged that the abuse had, at times, affected her deeply and even followed her onto the tennis court.

“There were moments when it affected me a lot and it happened that it was difficult for me to get rid of it, even on the court. That’s why I’m glad that I have the support of people around me to talk about it.”

While she has now spoken openly about those hard and toxic experiences, support from those closest to her, including her father at times, became especially important during such moments.

Tomasz Swiatek blasts so-called experts criticizing his daughter relentlessly

The Polish No. 1 has faced intense scrutiny throughout her career, despite consistently delivering results at the highest level of the sport. However, despite being one of the most dominant players on the WTA Tour, criticism has rarely been far away.

Take last year for example when the Polish star pushed back against sections of the Polish media during one of the most difficult periods of her career before her Wimbledon triumph. She even defended members of her team this year when they came under attack. In particular, Iga rejected claims suggesting that her current psychologist, Daria Abramowicz, was responsible for her split with former coach Wim Fissette.

Despite the constant flow of criticism directed toward her, support has often come from those closest to her. Her father, Tomasz Swiatek, has repeatedly stepped in to defend his daughter against unfair judgments in her career.

Even 2 years ago, after Iga suffered a third-round exit at SW19 Tomasz addressed the growing negativity surrounding her performances. 

“People write various things, but I decided from the beginning that I wouldn’t fight windmills. If I wanted to correct false assumptions, I wouldn’t do anything else, and I don’t have time for that. People evaluate things differently, but they have this in common: when things are going well, almost everyone praises, and when there’s one stumble or defeat, criticism begins immediately. It’s hard to say where this comes from,” Tomasz added.

Now, with Iga Swiatek’s Wimbledon title defense approaching after Bad Homburg, the spotlight will once again be firmly on Swiatek. The question remains whether she can successfully defend 2000 ranking points from last year amid the ever-present expectations surrounding her.