Swiatek 'Could Fall Apart' After Doping Controversy Says Former World No. 1
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Former WTA World No. 1, Dinara Safina, called Iga Swiatek a robot during an honest assessment of how the Pole conducts herself on the court.
Swiatek is one of the calmest players on the WTA Tour during matches. She almost never reacts to losing points or making mistakes and does not do much more than occasionally saying "jazda" (let's go in Polish) after winning important points.
However, fans saw a much more emotional side of Swiatek in a lengthy video she released about her doping case that became public last week. The five-time Grand Slam champion accepted a one-month ban due to testing positive for the prohibited substance trimetazidine.
Swiatek received a provisional suspension on September 12th for testing positive, but she had it overturned after further testing proved her explanation that a non-prescription medicine was contaminated with trimetazidine.
LEK-AM, the company responsible for the contamination, released a statement apologizing for what happened. Selling a contaminated product to one of the most high-profile athletes on the planet is a massive controversy for the drug manufacturer.
Safina has generated headlines recently with various comments. She revealed that Aryna Sabalenka and teenage prodigy Mirra Andreeva tried to hire her as a coach, but neither ended up happening.
The former WTA world No. 1 also attacked women's players outside the Top 2 of Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek. Safina described Coco Gauff and others as unstable and compared them unfavorably to the era she played in.
It is evident how honest Safina is when she speaks, which was the case once again during her recent appearance on Bolshe! Live when discussing how Swiatek conducts herself on the court.
Safina thinks Swiatek is a robot on the court and that the Pole could fall apart if something goes wrong because the 23-year-old consistently suppresses her internal emotions during matches.
"It will be interesting to watch Iga. For some reason, it seems to me that she disguises [her emotionality] very beautifully. She is a "robot", she comes out on the court as if she has no emotions."
"But I have a feeling that something could go wrong and she could fall apart. From the outside, it seems that everything is too artificial, too professional."
Some feel that players being more authentic on the court would be good for the sport. Ajla Tomljanovic, who defeated Serena Williams in her final match, said in 2022 that the rules are too strict and prevent players from showing emotion.
Swiatek might respond that being calm on the court is her natural persona. The four-time French Open champion has spoken about being an introvert since she was a child, only recently becoming more comfortable giving interviews and being in the spotlight.
Nick Kyrgios, one of Sinner and Swiatek's most vocal critics since their cases became public, is one of the fiercest and most emotional players. After being out injured, he will play just his second tournament in the last two years at the 2025 Brisbane International.
