Recent backlash has forced Iga Świątek to release a statement condemning her on-court behaviour at Indian Wells, but admits she "didn't expect such harsh judgements".
Trailing teenage sensation Mirra Andreeva in the final set of their semi-final, the 23-year-old produced an outpour of frustration by slamming the ball into the ground, which could have ended in disaster for one ball kid.
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Fans connected through social media weren't forgiving, suggesting that the world No.2 "needs to apologise" and branded the behaviour "unacceptable".
Taking those types of messages to heart in the aftermath, Świątek addressed the situation via her social media accounts in a lengthy statement.
"I see there’s been a lot of recent talk about changes in my on-court behaviour and emotions," she wrote. "Although I’m not comfortable explaining myself, it’s time I share my perspective to stop the speculation and baseless theories.
"First, about the incident during my last match. It’s true – I expressed frustration in a way I’m not proud of. My intention was never to aim the ball at anyone but merely to release my frustration by bouncing it on the ground.
"I immediately apologised to the ball boy, we made eye contact and nodded to each other when I expressed regret that it happened near him.
"I’ve seen many players bounce balls in frustration, and frankly, I didn’t expect such harsh judgments. Usually, I control such impulses, so half-jokingly I can say I lack experience in this and misjudged my aim in the heat of the moment."
She continued: "This forced me to rearrange certain things within myself. In Australia, after weaker performances in previous years, I played without expectations, focused solely on my work, accepting that another Australian Open might not go my way regardless of my efforts. Thanks to this mindset, I performed very well and was close to reaching the final.
"In the Middle East, however, it struck me hard that my positive test result case, missing two highly-ranked tournaments in October, and last year’s exceptional results (winning four 1000-level tournaments and a Grand Slam in the first half of the season) will keep affecting my ranking and basically take away my chance for No 1.
"This realisation deeply upset me. You could see this on the court in Dubai.
"I know that playing while stuck in past frustrations, over things beyond my control, isn’t the right path. My team and I recognised this issue almost immediately (with their experience, probably faster than anyone could imagine), but shifting perspective takes significant time, effort, and team support."
Świątek ended up losing the match in three sets to Andreeva, as the Polish star failed to show up for her scheduled post-match press conference.
She now bids to put the controversy behind her by focusing on Miami for the next WTA 1000 tournament.
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