FAMILY FEUD: IGA SWIATEK’S FATHER SLAMS CRITICS: "YOU DON'T KNOW S***, MIND YOUR BUSINESS
Iga Swiatek's father, Tomasz, fires back at critics of psychologist Daria Abramowicz. Discover why he told podcasters to "mind their business."
Iga Swiatek’s dad isn’t happy with some recent criticism from her old coach and a Polish journalist; they questioned what her psychologist, Daria Abramowicz, really brings to the table.
Swiatek has swapped coaches a few times, but Abramowicz has stuck around for seven years. She’s been there through all six Grand Slam wins and is one of the few constants on Iga’s team.
Abramowicz started working with Swiatek back in 2019. Iga was just 17, still a new face on the tour. A year later, she exploded onto the scene by winning the French Open at 19. Since then, she’s grabbed four more Grand Slam titles, including a rare Surface Slam, and climbed to world No. 1, working with coaches like Piotr Sierzputowski, Tomasz Wiktorowski, and now Wim Fissette. Whenever Iga switched coaches (she left Sierzputowski in 2021 and Wiktorowski in 2024), Abramowicz always stayed.
Lately, though, people have started to wonder if Abramowicz is too involved. Back in 2025, sports psychologist Dariusz Nowicki said their partnership blurred boundaries and called it "disturbed". Both Abramowicz and Swiatek fired back, but after some recent struggles on tour, the questions have popped up again.
On a recent episode of the “Trzeci Serwis” podcast, one of Iga’s old youth coaches, Artur Sostaczko, talked with Lechem Sidorem about her form, both her tennis and her mindset.
Sostaczko said, “I’ve never seen another player spend day and night with a psychologist. They go on vacations together, watch movies, and hang out all the time. But hey, if it works for Iga, I’m not going to tell her to stop.
“People need to get that I can have my opinion or be a bit surprised, but honestly, if it’s working for someone who’s been No. 1 in the world and has six Grand Slams, what advice do we even have for her?”
Sidorem pushed back: “Let me push back a bit. Watching her at the Australian Open and in Doha, it didn’t look like Daria was helping much. Iga looked nervous, like she didn’t have any coping tools. No cues, no sign language, nothing. People are starting to question this whole setup.”
Sostaczko agreed. “You’re right, something’s not clicking again. Maybe during the off-season, they should just take a break from each other for a week. Give it some space.”
The podcast went up on YouTube, and Tomasz Swiatek, Iga’s dad and a former Olympic rower who often travels with her and Abramowicz, didn’t hold back. He jumped into the comments and wrote, “What have you both achieved? Almost nothing. Mind your own business. You don’t know shit; you sleep on your feet.”
WHY DID 22 PLAYERS SUDDENLY WITHDRAW FROM THE 2026 ITALIAN OPEN MID-TOURNAMENT?
Discover the full list of injured stars, including Carlos Alcaraz and Emma Raducanu, forced out of the 2026 Italian Open.
At the 2026 Italian Open, the number of players who have withdrawn or retired during matches has climbed to 22, spanning both the ATP and WTA competitions.
By midweek, 17 players had already exited the combined ATP/WTA 1000 event in Rome. Since then, an additional three men and two women have followed suit.
Before the draws were even announced on Monday, prominent names like Carlos Alcaraz, Taylor Fritz, Jack Draper, and Marketa Vondrousova had pulled out. On the opening day of the women’s tournament, Tuesday, Marta Kostyuk and Emma Raducanu also withdrew.
Amanda Anisimova, ranked sixth in the WTA, stepped back before her first match on Thursday due to a left wrist injury. Meanwhile, Victoria Mboko, who is ninth in the world, withdrew before playing on Friday because of a gastrointestinal illness.
Valentin Vacherot, the 16th-ranked player on the ATP tour, pulled out shortly before his scheduled second-round match against Marin Cilic on Friday, citing a foot injury.
Tomas Machac, holding the 41st spot in the men's rankings, also withdrew ahead of his second-round encounter with Daniil Medvedev after an impactful win against Stefanos Tsitsipas in round one.
Arthur Fils, ranked 17th, retired during his opening match against Andrea Pellegrino on Saturday, trailing 0-4, due to hip pain.
Here’s a rundown of the withdrawals on the ATP side: Carlos Alcaraz (No. 2) was replaced by Sebastian Ofner; Taylor Fritz (No. 7) by Zachary Svajda; Valentin Vacherot (No. 16) by Martin Landaluce; Arthur Rinderknech (No. 24) by Aleksandar Kovacevic; Holger Rune (No. 40) by Damir Dzumhur; Gabriel Diallo (No. 46) by Alexander Blockx; Jack Draper (No. 50) by Hamad Medjedovic; Raphael Collignon (No. 68) by Alexandre Muller; Reilly Opelka (No. 74) by Aleksandar Vukic; Arthur Cazaux (No. 73) by Mattia Bellucci; Kamil Majchrzak (No. 76) by Roberto Bautista Agut; and Eliot Spizzirri (No. 92) by James Duckworth.
On the WTA side, Amanda Anisimova (No. 6) was replaced by Elena Gabriela Ruse from Romania; Victoria Mboko (No. 9) by Nikola Bartunkova; Marta Kostyuk (No. 15) by Ajla Tomljanovic; Emma Raducanu (No. 30) by Lilli Tagger; Marketa Vondrousova (No. 44) by Solana Sierra; Sonay Kartal (No. 56) by Zeynep Sonmez; Varvara Gracheva (No. 61) by Eva Lys; and Veronika Kudermetova (No. 70) by Petra Marcinko.
THE "REST OVER REPS" PLAN: WHY JANNIK SINNER IS SNUBBING HALLE FOR WIMBLEDON
After 23 consecutive wins, World No. 1 Jannik Sinner adjusts his schedule to target a Career Grand Slam and Wimbledon glory.
Jannik Sinner has already logged a heavy schedule this year, with deep runs in recent Masters 1000 tournaments keeping him on court against top-tier competition regularly. Given this demanding stretch, he’s taken a fresh look at his calendar and decided to skip the Halle Open, carving out a three-week break between Roland Garros and his Wimbledon title defence.
The 2024 Wimbledon champion won’t be heading to Germany for the grass-court event. That’s notable since Sinner claimed that Wimbledon crown in impressive fashion, overcoming two-time winner Carlos Alcaraz to secure his first major title away from hardcourts. That victory was his latest Grand Slam, following Alcaraz’s wins at the previous two majors.
After Roland Garros, where he seeks to complete the career Grand Slam, Sinner plans to recharge rather than pile on more tournaments before Wimbledon. Without Alcaraz in sight, he’s considered a favourite to maintain his remarkable run. His recent haul includes titles at Indian Wells, Miami, Monte-Carlo, and, most recently, Madrid. Now, he’s setting his sights on Rome, his home turf, where he’s never clinched a win but is eager to continue an ambitious streak of Masters 1000 victories, aiming for a sixth in a row.
Post-Rome, he’ll take a week off before the French Open begins. In total, Sinner has played 23 matches over the last two months without tasting defeat. If he wants to lift the Rome trophy, he’ll need to notch six more wins, then potentially battle through seven more rounds in Paris. This demanding schedule partly explains his choice to forgo Halle.
As for the 2026 Halle Open, fans might be disappointed not to see the world number one, but the field remains strong. Heading the draw is Alexander Zverev, a local favourite who has yet to claim a grass-court title or even one on home soil. With Sinner out, this could be a prime opportunity for Zverev to break through.
The American players are also well represented. The U.S. hasn’t seen a finalist here since Mardy Fish in 2004, but Taylor Fritz and Ben Shelton might be poised to change that, especially Fritz, who has already shown grass prowess with titles in Stuttgart and Eastbourne last year.
Defending champion Alexander Bublik, who ousted Sinner on his way to victory and took down Daniil Medvedev in the final, will be back aiming to repeat. Alongside him, names like Andrey Rublev, Flavio Cobolli, and Frances Tiafoe are also set to compete. The tournament runs from June 15 to 21, promising plenty of exciting tennis.
