Iga Swiatek hasn’t had it easy lately. Following a stellar win at Roland Garros in 2024, Swiatek faced a one-month ban for a positive test for the banned substance TMZ, missing crucial tournaments and losing her No.1 ranking to rival Aryna Sabalenka. The backlash from this controversy has lingered into 2025, affecting her mental health as she navigates the pressures of being at the top of the game. Despite reaching the semifinals in several tournaments, including the Australian Open, Qatar Open, and Indian Wells, Swiatek has yet to clinch a title since May 2024. Now, she’s facing yet another issue on the court.

On Sunday, the world No. 2 made headlines for her impressive performance at the Miami Open. She advanced to the fourth round after defeating Belgium’s Elise Mertens. However, her achievements were overshadowed by a troubling incident during a training session. A man, known online as ‘DzonnyBravo’, disrupted her practice with intrusive personal comments. He shouted, “Hey, Iga, call your mother. Hey, Iga, when will you reconcile with your mother?” This unsettling behavior caught Swiatek off guard and raised serious concerns about player safety and the impact of online trolling.

Her team released a statement on the matter, emphasizing, “[Translated from Polish] Safety is the highest priority. We monitor the network to detect such cases. There is a difference between constructive criticism and threats, hate speech, or even interfering with training – this cannot be allowed. We reported the matter to the tournament organizer, as well as the WTA, which reacted immediately and took additional precautions, such as additional protection, for which we are very grateful. Ensuring the safety of players is the most important thing, they are at the center of events, and our task is simply to protect them.”

Despite the situation, Swiatek was still able to deliver a stellar 7-6(2), 6-1 win against Mertens. However, tennis journalist Dominik Senkowski highlighted the severity of the situation on X, stating, “[Translated from Polish] Iga Świątek was harassed by a well-known online hater who appeared in the stands at her training in Miami. Later, she was accompanied by security, even during an interview on the court. A scandalous situation that should never have happened. Hence the appeal for the umpteenth time – stop hate.” Not to mention that this incident marks the second stalker-related issue for the WTA this year.

For the unversed, on February 18, Emma Raducanu experienced a distressing moment at the Dubai Tennis Championships. The 2021 US Open Champion spotted a man in the crowd exhibiting “fixated behavior” towards her during her match against Karolina Muchova. She appeared visibly shaken, which led to her losing the match. Security escorted the individual out and later banned him from all WTA events.

Despite the WTA’s efforts to increase security after Raducanu’s incident, Swiatek’s experience underscores the ongoing challenges players face in ensuring their safety. Not to mention that this isn’t the first time the Pole has been in this situation.

Swaitek recalls her past stalker experience from the 2022

Following Emma Raducanu’s distressing encounter, Iga Swiatek shared her thoughts with The National. She commended the WTA’s swift action: “I know the WTA banned this person from going on-site anywhere on any tournament. So I guess the reaction was pretty solid. I like that because it’s WTA’s responsibility to keep us safe, for that environment to be safe for us.” Swiatek also opened up about a potentially scary encounter with a fan at a charity event she hosted in Poland back in 2022.

Swiatek recounted, “We were able to avoid one incident that might have been scary back in the day when I was hosting my own event in Poland. There are fans that are kind of, I don’t know, everywhere. But I’m pretty sure that they don’t have any bad intentions,” she explained. Despite this optimism, she acknowledged that these situations can be terrifying and concerning for players’ safety while on tour.

It’s yet to be seen how this situation will be handled for Iga Swiatek going forward. She’ll be facing Elina Svitolina in her next match. Will the Pole overcome her obstacles and make it far in the Miami Open? Share your thoughts in the comments below!