On March 18, Beijing time, five-time Grand Slam women's singles champion and WTA world No. 2 Swiatek posted a long post on her personal social media in response to the controversy that she almost accidentally injured her caddie in the semifinals of the WTA Indian Wells last week:

Swiatek smashed the ball and almost injured the caddy

(Screenshot from the event)

"One of my favorite events of the year has come to an end. I'm slowly moving in the direction I wanted to go, and I left here not only with solid work, but also with many good memories and some valuable lessons.

I've noticed a lot of talk lately about how my behaviour and mood changes on the pitch. While I'm reluctant to defend myself, it's time to share my point of view to stop those speculations and baseless theories.

Swiatek

Photo: Visual China

First of all, about the events in my last game. That's right, I expressed my frustration in a way that made me all feel ashamed. I didn't mean to throw the ball at anyone, I just wanted to vent by smashing it to the ground. I immediately apologized to the caddy, we looked at each other, and we nodded to each other when I expressed remorse for the ball that almost hit him. I've seen a lot of players smash the ball when they're frustrated, and frankly, I didn't expect to be judged so harshly. Normally, I am able to control this urge, so half-jokingly saying that I am inexperienced in this area and misjudge the direction in the moment of emotion.

Secondly, about the expression of emotions. The second half of last year was extremely difficult for me, not least because of a positive doping test and those completely uncontrollable circumstances that deprived me of the opportunity to fight for the highest sporting goals at the end of the season. It forced me to re-examine my heart. In Australia, after a less-than-ideal performance in previous years, I entered with a mindset that didn't hold my expectations, focusing only on my performance, accepting that no matter how hard I tried, the Australian Open might not go as I wanted. Thanks to this mentality, I performed really well and almost made it to the final.

However, while competing in the Middle East, I was acutely aware that the doping test positive incident, missing out on two high-level events in October, and last year's excellent results (winning four 1000 events and one Grand Slam event in the first half of the season) would continue to affect my rankings and essentially cost me the chance to become world number one. This realization frustrates me deeply. You can see this from the competition in Dubai.

I knew that playing with the frustrations of the past and dwelling on things I couldn't control wasn't the right path. My team and I realized the problem almost immediately (probably faster than anyone could have imagined with their experience), but changing mindsets took a lot of time, effort, and team support.

After last year's French Open, Swiatek embarked on a 10-month title drought

Photo: Visual China

This brings me to two important points:

First, self-improvement is not something that can be achieved overnight and once and for all. Sometimes we take two steps forward and one step back. I'm always dealing with new elements in this puzzle: things are changing, my experiences are evolving, I'm growing, my opponents are improving, and I have to keep adapting. It's never easy, especially for me now. Sports competitions are not played by robots. I've had three great seasons, but nothing is easy and there's no guarantee that the results will always go as desired or under control. That's life, it's sport. Sometimes even I forget that.

Second, endless judgment. When I'm highly focused and don't show too much emotion on the pitch, people say I'm like a robot and my attitude is impersonal. Now when I prefer to express myself and show my inner feelings or struggles, I am suddenly labeled immature or hysterical. It's not a healthy standard – especially when you think about how my career was on the line just six months ago, crying every day for three weeks and not even wanting to set foot on the pitch. Today, after all of this, I am still digesting and accepting those experiences. Will sharing these change anything? Probably not, because I see clearly how keen we are to judge others, make up theories, and impose our own opinions on others. But maybe some people who really want to understand my experience will understand this. In any case, this outside standard is definitely not my standard, and I don't accept that I and my team are bound by outside expectations.

Finally, I would like to thank all the fans who genuinely supported me. I am reminded of your kindness, and I know that I cannot please everyone, but I want to stick to my own path: to delight the spectators and set a positive example for the children; Relentless (and perhaps sometimes too ambitious) to achieve a big goal. I firmly believe that even if there is occasional repetition, it will eventually reach the other side at its own pace.

See you in Miami. ”

(Text and editor: Dato)