Boris Becker takes dig at Iga Swiatek for her ‘excuses and long explanation’ after ‘rude’ behavior toward ball kid at Indian Wells

Iga Swiatek was at the receiving end of criticism following the Indian Wells Masters incident involving a ball kid. She was up against Mirra Andreeva in a tense semifinal and frustrations got the better of her during the third set.

When receiving a ball from a ball kid, she smacked it on the ground. Days after that incident, Swiatek, in a lengthy social media post, wrote that her intention was never to hit the ball kid and that she apologized right after her outburst.

But many from the tennis world were not ready to accept her explanations. They perceived her behavior toward the ball kid as ‘rude’ and Boris Becker, who previously wrote “Iga got little angry,” was unconvinced by Swiatek’s long social media post; though the tennis legend expressed his wish to see Swiatek solve all her worries.

Lots of excuses and looooong explanations… not sure anymore! Usually always supporting the players ! I wish Iga to find her peace on the tennis court ! She is a proven champion!

Boris Becker wrote on X

Check out his post here:

Lots of excuses and looooong explanations… not sure anymore!
Usually always supporting the players !
I wish Iga to find her peace on the tennis 🎾 court !
She is a proven champion! https://t.co/Cgx7WootGU

— Boris Becker (@TheBorisBecker) March 17, 2025

The Pole also criticized the fans for their double standards. She said fans call her a “robot” when she’s highly focused and is not very expressive while playing. As she’s struggling internally and is showing feelings, fans think she’s “immature and hysterical“.

Iga Swiatek explains reason behind mediocre performance in Middle East Swing

Iga Swiatek kickstarted her 2025 season by helping Poland reach the United Cup final. Then at the Australian Open, she lost a tough semifinal to eventual winner Madison Keys.

In the Middle East Swing, the World No.2 arrived in Doha for her bid to win four consecutive Qatar Open titles. But Jelena Ostapenko spoiled that plan by securing a 5-0 head-to-head record over her with a straight-set win in the semifinal.

In Dubai then, the 23-year-old succumbed to a straight-set defeat to eventual winner, Mirra Andreeva, in the quarterfinals. Swiatek said she brooded over the doping scandal that took away her rankings during her campaign and it affected her performance.

In the Middle East, however, it struck me hard that my positive test result case, missing two years’ exceptional results (winning four 1000-level tournaments and a Grand Slam in the first half of the season) will keep affecting my ranking and basically take away my chance for no 1. This realization deeply upset me. You could see this on the court in Dubai.

Iga Swiatek wrote on Instagram

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A post shared by Iga Świątek (@iga.swiatek)

Swiatek failed the drug test in August last year and was handed a one-month ban. She missed three WTA events during the Asian swing due to the provisional suspension and dropped points. Aryna Sabalenka‘s dominating performance during the hard-court season helped her reclaim the No.1 spot from the five-time Grand Slam champion.

Iga Swiatek’s hunt for first WTA title since 2024 French Open continues

Swiatek arrived at Indian Wells to start her quest for the first WTA title since the 2024 French Open. After reaching the semifinal on the back of strong performances, Swiatek suffered two consecutive defeats to Mirra Andreeva, who took a 2-1 lead in their head-to-head meetings.

Swiatek’s next goal is the Miami Open, which is underway at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens. She will kick start her campaign against a qualifier or Caroline Garcia in the second round as the second seed received a bye for the first round.

The four-time French Open champion has won the Miami Open in 2022 to complete the Sunshine Doubles. In 2023, however, she withdrew from the tournament and was defeated by Ekaterina Alexandrova in the fourth round last year.