Iga Swiatek Yet Again Forced to Defend Her Psychologist Amid More Scrutiny Ahead of Wimbledon Opener

Iga Swiatek has been working with psychologist Daria Abramowicz since 2019.


Iga Swiatek Yet Again Forced to Defend Her Psychologist Amid More Scrutiny Ahead of Wimbledon Opener

Iga Swiatek (via Punto de Break)

Not for the time this season has Iga Swiatek been forced to defend her psychologist Daria Abramowicz, as her results on tour are yet to improve. Swiatek’s fans have criticized her for not making the hard decision to part ways with her psychologist amid a run of poor form heading into Wimbledon.

Swiatek made a team re-shuffle following her devastating Sunshine Double run in March. The former World No.1 fell to fellow Polish star Magda Linette in three sets in the second round of the Miami Open, the final straw that led her to part ways with Wim Fisette. She then hired Francisco Roig, who had coached Rafael Nadal for more than a decade.

However, Swiatek kept Abramowicz as her psychologist. The two have been working together since 2019, with the longest-serving member in Swiatek’s team. She has credited Abramowicz in the past for helping her gain confidence in trying times on tour and winning titles despite her poor form, but this season, things haven’t gone well for the World No.3.

Swiatek has failed to reach a tournament final on tour and has reached just one semi-final this season. At the French Open, a tournament which she has won four times, she reached the fourth round and lost to Marta Kostyuk in straight sets. It was a devastating exit that led her fans to intensify their criticism of Abramowicz.

The psychologist has become the scapegoat for Swiatek’s poor form, just days before Wimbledon kicks off. However, Swiatek is not willing to give in to fans’ calls on social media. She revealed in an interview with The Times that Abramowicz has been one of her trusted team members since 2019 and has helped her so much in her career:

People on social media like to give their opinions, but they don’t know how we work, what kind of support I need, or how much people in my position need trusted people. Daria has been working with me since 2019. I would be a totally different person in terms of how I was at the time. I was super insecure. I didn’t really have the skills emotionally or even cognitively to play tennis at the level I needed to to achieve this kind of level, so she helped me develop myself as a player.

Swiatek was expected to perform well at the Bad Homburg Open ahead of Wimbledon, but she didn’t get past the second round. The top seed’s display in the tournament saw her lose to Emma Navarro in three sets, her second loss in her last five matches. This now makes it very hard for Swiatek to be a favorite at the grass-court Grand Slam.

Iga Swiatek’s likely opponents at the 2026 Wimbledon Championships

Iga Swiatek has not won a title since the Korean Open in September last year. Before claiming that title, she had a glorious run at Wimbledon and Cincinnati, splendidly winning both titles. She will have to defend them this year, and a little let off can see her drop out of the top 5 in the WTA rankings.

Iga Swiatek
Iga Swiatek (Image via People.com)

First on her list of title defense is Wimbledon, a tournament she won last year, ending her over 12-month title drought. She defeated Amanda Anisimova 6-0, 6-0 in the final. But things are a bit difficult for the Polish star heading into the tournament. She will open her account at the All England Club against Taylor Townsend, their first meeting on tour.

Should she overcome Townsend, she’s projected to face Tereza Valentova in the second round. After that, she’s likely to take on Alexandra Eala in the third round, which will be their third meeting on tour. Eala won their first at last year’s Miami Open before Swiatek earned her revenge in Madrid.

Swiatek is projected to face Jasmine Paolini in the fourth round. It is expected to be an easy match-up considering the horrible form that Paolini has been in this season. Then she’s projected to face Elina Svitolina and Elena Rybakina in the quarter-finals and semi-finals before a likely matchup against Aryna Sabalenka in the final.

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