Psychologist Ewa Woydyłło has apologised for calling tennis player Iga Świątek silly and scared during an appearance on Lech Sidor's podcast Trzeci Serwis. The valued psychologist surprised fans and journalists by claiming Świątek had presented herself as mature and wise but did not understand what was happening around her.
In the recording, Woydyłło said Świątek was surrounded by Abramowicz, three or four men, her father, and her sister. She added that results mattered to the player, noting Świątek became angry and worried when losing, despite previously appearing as a radiant, winning tennis goddess.
The podcast creators later removed the episode, titled Return, from the internet following media reaction and user feedback. In a statement, the producers apologised to Świątek and admitted they had failed to maintain standards in tennis discourse, describing their handling of the situation as a loss of 0:6, 0:6.
Apology to Świątek and Sabalenka
Speaking to WP SportoweFakty, Woydyłło expressed remorse and said she felt ashamed of her statements. She stated that she had intended to express something completely different, felt silly and scared herself, and offered apologies to Świątek, Aryna Sabalenka, and anyone who felt offended.
Woydyłło added that this was the first time she had to explain her words and that she had not expected such a scandal, noting that removing the episode was the right decision. Meanwhile, Świątek began the WTA 1000 tournament in Toronto with a 6:0, 6:3 second-round victory over Sara Bejlek, setting up a match against Viktorija Golubic.
