Sets Us Back Two Steps” – Iga Swiatek’s Psychologist Fires Back at Critics Amid Ongoing Coach Split Drama

Playing consistently at the top level continuously is no mean feat. Ask Iga Swiatek, who spent months at the top of the WTA rankings table. The Polish star became a symbol of consistency on the WTA Tour and won several big tournaments. However, her reign at the top finally ended after Aryna Sabalenka toppled her as the new World Number 1 earlier this month. Additionally, Swiatek has had a turbulent time of late after splitting with her longtime coach, Tomasz Wiktorowski. Amid this, her psychologist, Daria Abramowicz, made a concerning admission about how the social world impacted Swiatek’s emotions.

Earlier this year, Swiatek went down fighting against the eventual champion, Qinwen Zheng, in the semifinals of the Olympic Games. Although she returned with a bronze medal, Swiatek had a tough time coping with the loss against Zheng, as she was expected to win a gold medal there. Subsequently, the emotions got the better of her, and there was much talk about how players should keep their emotions in check.

However, Abramowicz is fed up with the discussions surrounding regulating emotions. While it depends from player to player, she said, “We seem to be making progress in terms of social awareness and suddenly some enlightened opinion from an “expert” takes us back two steps.”

After her impressive French Open victory, it has been a steep downfall for Swiatek. She failed to dig deep at the US Open, losing in the last eight against Jessica Pegula. Additionally, her partnership with her longtime coach, Tomasz Wiktorowski, also ended abruptly. Further, Swiatek remained absent from the entire Asian Swing of the WTA Tour.