Iga Swiatek breaks silence on harsh criticism of her psychologist Daria, shuts down 'false theories' with firm defense

Iga Swiatek has addressed the criticism surrounding her psychologist Daria Abramowicz amid her struggles on tour. The Pole firmly defended their partnership and lambasted the media for their coverage of Abramowicz.

Swiatek has been under intense scrutiny during the 2025 season, primarily due to her performances not meeting the high standards she had set in previous years. The World No. 2, who last reached a final at the 2024 French Open, most recently suffered a 6-1, 6-1 loss to Coco Gauff in the semifinals of the Madrid Open.

The Pole's disappointing results, coupled with her uncharacteristic outbursts on court, have also led to harsh criticism of her psychologist, Daria Abramowicz. Many tennis fans even blamed Abramowicz for "destroying" Swiatek after her loss in Madrid.

Iga Swiatek finally addressed the criticism while speaking to Polish reporters in her pre-tournament press conference at the 2025 Italian Open. She emphasized that she trusted Daria Abramowicz implicitly and said that she didn't need unsolicited opinions on who should be part of her team. The 23-year-old also called out the press for adding "unnecessary stress" to her life with their coverage.

"Daria is a constant source of support for me, someone I trust. In fact, I trust my entire team, and I want people around to know that. This is my team - I decide who's in it. The recent media pressure doesn't create space for calm and focused work. On the contrary it creates additional, unnecessary stress," Iga Swiatek said (Translated from Polish).

Furthermore, Swiatek shut down the "false theories" that were being spread about Abramowicz and her coaching team. She pointed out that her mentality couldn't be judged by match results, especially since she was far from her best this season.

"I understand that it's hard to grasp the mental aspect of sport, which can't be judged by stats and numbers especially at a time when I'm not achieving fully satisfying results on the court. Also, I'm not someone who wants to talk about everything," she said.

"The mental work I do should be separate from what happens in the media. I think this has all contributed to people not fully understanding what's happening within the team, how it functions, how we work so they invent false theories. But we truly are a team," she added.

Iga Swiatek also revealed that she had tried to work with other psychologists before Daria Abramowicz but hadn't been "convinced" by any of them. The Pole explained that she didn't feel satisfied with only having weekly online sessions, so she chose a more hands-on option.

"They're deeply mistaken" - Iga Swiatek shuts down 'sweeping judgments' about her coaching team

Iga Swiatek - Source: Getty

In the same press conference, Iga Swiatek said that she wouldn't have achieved the same level of success without her psychologist Daria Abramowicz and her coaching team by her side. She asserted that all their earlier work shouldn't be dismissed simply because she wasn't competing at the same level she used to.

"Without the work I've done with my psychologist and other team members, I wouldn't be where I am today. It's worth remembering that. Just because I've been reaching semifinals instead of finals for six months doesn't mean you can dismiss everything. I value the knowledge and experience of the people I work with but above all, their support, because tennis is a very lonely sport," Iga Swiatek said.

The World No. 2 also stated that those making sweeping judgments about her team based off individual matches were "deeply mistaken."

"There have been many ups and downs in my career. Maciek, Daria, and also Tomek have been there for practically all of them. If someone claims a partnership isn't working just because I wasn't fully focused in one match, they're deeply mistaken. They should look at the situation from a much broader perspective and ask themselves if they really know everything they need to know to make such sweeping judgments," she added.

Iga Swiatek will look to put the criticism out of her mind as she aims to successfully defend her title at the 2025 Italian Open. After a bye in the first round, the Pole will take on the winner of the match between Elina Avanesyan and Elisabetta Cocciaretto in her opening match at the WTA 1000 event.