WATCH: Furious Swiatek Almost Hits Ball Boy During Indian Wells Loss To Andreeva
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Iga Swiatek could have gotten herself in significant trouble at the 2025 Indian Wells Open when she slammed a ball near a ball boy during her semifinal against Mirra Andreeva.
The Pole was unusually rattled and argumentative throughout the contest with the teenager. Swiatek was ultimately dumped out by Andreeva, who defeated her for the second time in the space of a month.
During the fourth game of the deciding set, Swiatek complained to the umpire about something Andreeva was doing. That drew boos from the crowd, making it challenging to know what caused the WTA world No. 2's frustration.
After losing that game and falling 1-3 behind, Swiatek's frustrations boiled over. The usually calm and focused star left fans stunned and some annoyed by how she reacted to being given a ball to serve.
When the ball kid threw it to her, Swiatek immediately fired it straight back near him. Luckily, the ball bounced over his head and did not hit him or anyone in the crowd because that would have led to a serious problem for the 23-year-old.
Rules state that players must be defaulted for hitting a ball kid, the umpire, or any members of the crowd with a ball. A notable example of that happening was Novak Djokovic's default for hitting a line judge at the 2020 US Open.
Swiatek's status as one of the best players on the planet means she was probably never concerned about misdirecting her shot and hitting the ball kid, but the video below shows it still bounced close to him and was not a great look for the five-time Grand Slam champion.
That moment and complaining to the umpire were not Swiatek's only moments of annoyance. After the opening point of the second set, her coach, Wim Fissette, tried to help by telling her to hit with more spin and shape.
Swiatek, clearly still angered from losing the first set on a tiebreak, immediately turned around and responded angrily and briefly. She did not appreciate being given guidance while in the heat of battle.
Some players benefit from getting fired up on the court, but Swiatek is not one of them. Much of her success has been built on being rigidly focused and not letting anything distract her while battling to win.
The former world No. 1's unsavory actions against Andreeva might have been the result of several weeks of building frustration. Despite holding a match point in the deciding set, she lost her 2025 Australian Open semifinal against Madison Keys.
That was followed by her falling in the 2025 Qatar Open semifinal to Jelena Ostapenko. Swiatek had won the previous three iterations of the tournament, but Ostapenko ended that run with a fifth consecutive victory against the Pole.
Andreeva beat her in the 2025 Dubai Championships quarterfinal with a devastatingly clinical display. The 17-year-old went on to secure a maiden Masters 1000 title, making her the youngest player to achieve that since the format was introduced.
Their match in Indian Wells was closer, but Swiatek lost once again. She will try to respond well at the upcoming 2025 Miami Open, where Danielle Collins is the defending champion.
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