Iga Swiatek‘s 2025 season has been a rollercoaster. She started strong, reaching the Australian Open semifinals, but stumbled with unexpected losses at the Qatar Open, Dubai Championships, and Indian Wells. Her frustration boiled over at Indian Wells when a ball struck by her narrowly missed a ball boy, drawing criticism. “When I maintain a high level of focus and exhibit few emotions on the court, people call me robotic… Now that I’m more expressive… I’m suddenly labeled immature or hysterical,” Swiatek noted, reflecting on the pressure of public perception. No doubt the Pole is one of the most scrutinised players on the circuit. And, a modest run at the Sunshine Double, including an early exit at the Miami Open, didn’t help, as it further fueled the narrative around her inconsistency.

But now, Stuttgart’s Porsche Arena buzzes with Iga eyeing a win! “I love this place – it’s super exciting to be here,” she beamed, embracing the clay court swing. Forget jet lag; she arrived early, fine-tuning her game. “We play on hard courts most of the year, so coming to clay means I still need some time to adjust.”

But, at Stuttgart, she feels “in the right place,” relishing the calmer vibe and the Polish fan cheers. However, the shadow of her setbacks is followed by criticism.

Swiatek addressed the scrutiny in an interview reported by Talking Tennis, acknowledging the challenges of being in the spotlight. She emphasized her mental work to cope with judgment: “It hasn’t been easy for the past months because after having such great seasons, I’ve been on the spotlight and my every move is judged.” Being in the spotlight is no easy task. And Swiatek has had her fair share of time under the sun.

The Polish No.1’s meteoric rise began with her stunning 2020 French Open win at 19. Known for her aggressive baseline play, she now boasts five Grand Slam titles and 22 singles trophies. Despite the loud voices of critics, she aims to bring yet another title to her previous Stuttgart titles in 2022 and 2023!

“I want to focus on myself, focus on the process, on what I want to change on court,” she said. With coach Wim Fissette, who joined her team after she split with Tomasz Wiktorowski last year, she’s working on refining her game. “It has been looking pretty good on the practice court, so I want to implement it in matches,” she added.

Additionally, her season also faced turbulence off-court. A doping scandal involving the banned heart medication, trimetazidine, led to a one-month suspension after contamination in her melatonin medication was confirmed. While the ITIA deemed it unintentional, Swiatek missed three tournaments and lost her No. 1 ranking to Aryna Sabalenka.

Reflecting on the ordeal in January, she said, “You can be at peace with yourself that you didn’t do anything wrong, but no one actually treats you like that… Especially the people that are kind of prosecuting you. Even when you’re telling the truth, you feel like they treat you like a liar.” Despite external criticism, the WTA tour responded more supportively.

Iga declares that “girls are understanding” as criticism takes a turn in the WTA

Iga Swiatek stormed into the Australian Open quarterfinals with a commanding 6-0, 6-1 victory over Germany’s Eva Lys in just 54 minutes. After the match, Swiatek expressed relief, believing the backlash from her doping controversy was finally behind her. “I’m just satisfied, you know, that I can get closure, kind of, and I can just move on and finish this whole process. Because, you know, I just want to play tennis and focus on the tournaments. So, yeah, I’m just satisfied,” she said during her post-match press conference.

Inside the locker room, Swiatek felt supported by her peers despite the external noise. “I haven’t noticed any difference,” she revealed. “I think anybody who read the documents and knows the details about the case, they understand. In the locker room, it has been pretty nice, you know. The girls are understanding.”

She further added that she’s ready to leave it all behind: “I’ve already been on tour for quite a few weeks, and it’s all been good, so I don’t expect any changes. For sure, I’m happy that people understand.”

Her fellow WTA stars also rallied around her publicly. Sabalenka defended Swiatek in December, saying, “People are really used to overreacting before figuring stuff out, so I don’t want to leave any comments. I believe in clean sport and nothing else I can add.” Adding to the conversation, Coco Gauff shared a similar sentiment before the Australian Open: “From our interactions, I definitely don’t think anything she did was intentional. I mean, I found out about it with the rest of the world. She’s still playing great tennis, and I think she’s fine.”

With the WTA’s support and her focus back on tennis, Swiatek has also prioritized her mental health. She skipped the Billie Jean King Cup qualifiers to prepare for Stuttgart’s clay season. Now gearing up for her first match of the event on April 15, can she regain her old touch? Share your thoughts in the comments below.