Iga Swiatek Discusses Nearly Hitting A Ball Boy And Three Weeks She Spent Crying Daily Last Year

Iga Swiatek offered a revealing look at her emotional state in recent months - which included a doping suspension , coming to grips with knowing she might not return to No. 1 this season and "three weeks crying daily" - in a lengthy social media post Monday that also discussed online criticism she received for nearly hitting a ball boy by hitting a ball in anger between points.

"I see there's been a lot of recent talk about changes in my on-court behavior and emotions," Swiatek, a five-time Grand Slam champion, posted on Instagram a day before the start of the Miami Open, where she is seeded second. "Although I'm not comfortable explaining myself, it's time I share my perspective to stop the speculation and baseless theories."

Swiatek addressed what happened last week at the tournament in Indian Wells, California, where she smacked a ball and it landed on the court close to the ball boy before bounding toward the stands. The episode happened during her semifinal loss to eventual champion Mirra Andreeva .

"It's true - I expressed frustration in a way I'm not proud of. My intention was never to aim the ball at anyone but merely to release my frustration by bouncing it on the ground. I immediately apologized to the ball boy, we made eye contact, and nodded to each other when I expressed regret that it happened near him," Swiatek wrote. "I've seen many players bounce balls in frustration, and frankly, I didn't expect such harsh judgments. Usually, I control such impulses, so half-jokingly I can say I lack experience in this and misjudged my aim in the heat of the moment."

Swiatek lamented the "constant judgment" that accompanies her career and wrote: "I clearly see how much people love judging, creating theories, and imposing opinions on others."