Iga Swiatek appears to be surrounded by multiple controversies at the moment. Be it her suspension in the doping saga, the ‘cold handshake’ with Coco Gauff after the defeat in the United Cup Final, or her bashing the Polish media for the fake rumors regarding her mental health. The Pole is in the spotlight yet again, as the results for the Best Polish Sportsperson are announced. This time it’s her Father backing Iga and criticizing the Polish fans.

Iga Swiatek’s father, Tomasz Swiatek expressed his disappointment after his daughter failed to secure a podium finish in the Przegląd Sportowy Plebiscyt for the Best Polish Sportsperson of 2024. Swiatek finished fourth in the award competition which is known for its immersive fan participation. The World No. 2 narrowly missed the podium by 10,285 votes.

The results were announced during the Sports Champions Gala on Saturday. Tomasz accepted the award on Iga’s behalf as she is currently in Australia for the start of the new season. Speaking to Polsat Sport cameras afterward, he said, “I admit that there is a small disappointment. I honestly thought that Iga would take at least third place. I will honestly say that Iga achieved very good results this year, but unfortunately, fans get used to such results easily.”

In another interview with the i.pl portal, Tomasz reiterated his feelings about the outcome. “How do I take these results? Coolly. Iga probably deserved more,” he said. The top spot in the competition went to Aleksandra Mirosław, an Olympic gold medalist in speed climbing. Runner Natalia Bukowiecka claimed second place, while volleyball star Wilfredo Leon took third.

Iga, a former world number one in tennis, shared her gratitude through a special recording. “I would like to thank everyone who voted for me. This year was demanding. I am glad that the fans appreciate me. I would like to congratulate the other athletes, especially since the Olympic year is not easy. I hope you will have a great time and I will be able to come someday. I have two tournaments ahead of me now, which will be of great importance this season,” she said.

Meanwhile, when asked about Iga’s chances at the upcoming Australian Open, Tomasz dismissed the question with a brief and humorous response. “A tomato. I don’t play such bets. I don’t bid,” he commented. Well, he was clearly not in a happy mood.

Swiatek had won the award for being the Best Polish Sportsperson for the last two years. But the results of this year have sparked discussions among fans and experts alike. Many feel Iga’s achievements, including her dominance on the WTA Tour, necessitated greater recognition, as she not only won the French Open last year but also finished third in the Paris Olympics, winning a bronze medal for Poland.

The discussions around Iga Swiatek in Poland in the last few months haven’t been necessarily positive.

Iga Swiatek Slams Polish Media for Spreading Hurtful Rumors

Iga Swiatek expressed her frustration with the Polish media for their fake stories about her absence during last year’s Asian swing on the WTA Tour. After losing to Jessica Pegula in the US Open quarterfinals, Swiatek took almost two months off before returning for the WTA Finals. She described her time away as being for “personal reasons” but avoided justifying further.

During her break, Swiatek parted ways with her coach of three years, Tomasz Wiktorowski. She then brought on Naomi Osaka’s former coach, Wim Fissette to her. Many suspected that her absence was linked to the coaching change, while others suggested mental exhaustion might be the reason. Swiatek had criticized the lengthy tennis calendar throughout 2024, making a break seem reasonable. However, as it turned out, she missed three tournaments in the Asian Swing because of a one-month suspension that was handed to her for failed dope tests in August.

Swiatek was, however, not happy with all the speculations in the Polish media. Recently, on Caroline Garcia’s Tennis Insider Club Podcast, she said, “I think, honestly, now I had the toughest situation with media and how they approached me in Poland,” she said. “I didn’t play China swing this year, obviously because of my case, now everybody knows that, but before, they didn’t.”

Elaborating further on the harsh media coverage, she added, “In Poland, it got crazy. Media, they diagnosed me with mental health disorders. I was burned out. I was firing everybody from my team. Suddenly, they wrote these articles with clickbait titles that there’s something wrong with me because I didn’t play two tournaments.”

Swiatek called this period her “toughest battle” and called out the judgmental nature of the Polish media. “The hate was big, and everybody’s, like, instantly judging. They are writing stuff that they would never say to our faces. It shouldn’t be that way.”

However, Swiatek is looking to put all the contrversies aside now as she aims her first Australian Open title later this month in Melbourne. Are you backing her to pull it off?