Doping ban, ball boy furore cause Swiatek mental stress

In a moment of frustration, Poland's Iga Swiatek smashed a ball straight into the hard surface of Court 1 at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden.

- Shahid Judge

MUMBAI: Not much would have been made of the incident, had the ball not come dangerously close to hitting a ball boy before sailing into the stands.

No matter the situation, any challenge to the safety of the ball kids is not treated kindly by crowds, and Swiatek was constantly jeered as she lost her semi-final match in three sets to Miira Andreeva. But what the world No.2's action betrayed was a sense of frustration that stemmed much beyond the struggle of that one particular match. It brought up emotions that have caused her to spend "three weeks crying daily, and (not) want to step on the court."

On Monday, in a lengthy post on her social media account, the five-time Grand Slam champion jotted down her thoughts, giving a glimpse of the mental stress she has been going through since the second half of last season.