“They have no idea” – Iga Swiatek’s father Tomasz slams baseless claims about Pole from ‘experts,’ explains why he doesn’t correct ‘false assumptions’
Iga Swiatek’s father Tomasz has spoken out against the unfounded criticisms directed at the World No. 1. Although the Pole clinched her fifth Grand Slam title at the French Open and won four WTA 1000 titles already this season, she has not been exempt from scrutiny. The criticism for Swiatek intensified after her loss to Zheng Qinwen in the semifinals of the Paris Olympics, since the Pole was seen as the outright favorite to clinch the women’s singles gold medal at Roland Garros.The defeat sparked discussions about the 23-year-old lacking a ‘Plan B’ in her game during crucial matches. However, her coach Tomasz Wiktorowski came to her defense, asserting that he disregarded criticism from those who were not top players or coaches and “didn’t know the realities of the current tennis tour.”
In an interview with WP SportoweFakty in August, Iga Swiatek’s father Tomasz revealed that he intentionally chose not to correct such “false assumptions” about his daughter, explaining that doing so would consume all his time.The 60-year-old also pointed out that the public opinion swung around dramatically, emphasizing that people were quick to lavish praise on Swiatek during her successful streaks only to immediately criticize the five-time Grand Slam champion when she had a single “stumble.”
“People write various things, but I decided from the beginning that I wouldn’t fight windmills. If I wanted to correct false assumptions, I wouldn’t do anything else, and I don’t have time for that,” he said.
“People evaluate things differently, but they have this in common: when things are going well, almost everyone praises, and when there’s one stumble or defeat, criticism begins immediately. It’s hard to say where this comes from,” he added.
