By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Thursday, October 27, 2022
In a wide-ranging interview with Łukasz Jachimiak of Sport.Pl, Iga Swiatek has explained the hindrance that caused her to receive much criticism on social media after her victory in the San Diego final against Donna Vekic.
“I can't control it, but I hope it will never happen again,” Swiatek said. “We are working on it. It is a stress reaction to what is happening. It is an involuntary reaction. I did it during the US Open, and as I recall it was a stressful moment.”
Swiatek said she apologized to Vekic immediately after the game, and there was no friction between the two.
It’s a regular occurrence on tour from Swiatek, and something that fans – and surely the locker room – has taken note of.
“In San Diego, I did it unconsciously. Right after the game I approached Donna and apologized,” she said. “She had no hard feelings, it turned out she didn't recall this at all.
Swiatek says she hopes fans will also accept her apology and understand that she is working on eliminating the issue from her game.
“I hope fans will understand me as well. I'm aware of the many negative comments on the internet concerning this incident. I'm not proud of the fact that sometimes I'm not in control of what I do on the court. It's a purely instinctual behavior. Maybe I've seen one too many football games, and taken notice of what goalies do during penalty shots.”