Iga Swiatek is the world number 1 and she decided to use her platform to speak up against women’s abuse. Apparently, Iga was shocked by a report of Katarzyna Kotula, a Polish MP, who had alleged that Miroslaw Skrzypczyski, her former tennis coach and current president of the Polish Tennis Association, sexually assaulted her when she was a child (PZT).
“Behind closed doors, he touched my intimate places, my breasts, buttocks. Mirosław Skrzypczyński sexually assaulted me at least a dozen times over three years. I was a kid, 13-years-old…He was a sexual predator,” Kotula told news outlet Onet.
Swiatek’s statement
This was Iga’s long statement.
“I feel that as a current leader of women’s tennis, I can’t be silent about particular matters. I remember that I appreciate having the freedom to decide, whether I want to speak up about something or not. Decide considering my sensitivity, knowledge, boundaries and strength I have at the moment to support people who suffer or encourage you to do something, like taking care about our mental health. And that’s why I know that, when it comes to physical violence or emotional abuse, the most important issue is thinking and being sensitive about victims. And when we speak up about something wrong happening we need to think about them first and most of all. I’m trying to do this the best way I can.
I’m against violence in sports, in tennis, in every discipline and in everyday life. That’s why I consider the articles about the president of the Polish Tennis Association as a serious matter. Governing bodies should determine what happened and I hope they will take care of this case after the media wrote about the stories of people who they talked with. This is not my role to do the work of governing bodies and journalists as the matter is too serious and it’s about people’s life and health.
What I feel I can do is to encourage you to look for help when something bad happens in sports communities and in every situation in life when there is a possibility that someone can suffer from physical violence or emotional abuse. If someone suffers because of it, the most important thing is to take care of themself and seek support, e.g. there are hotlines and organizations helping people who suffer because of violence.
This can be my role and this is how I can use my influence here – being a voice who tries to educate and remind that the most significant thing is to look for help when you need it. It’s crucial to be sensitive to people who suffer from violence, especially if they don’t have tools and strength to speak about it openly. It’s crucial to be alert, to speak up and try to help when we witness someone’s suffering.
Personally, I was lucky to not experience such difficult, terrible situations and I’m grateful for my Dad and for how wisely he managed my career. I have an amazing team, safety and currently, I’m really privileged, but I’m aware that not every athlete could have the same independence. I hope that with exposure of such matters and solving them carefully and fairly, sports will change for the better, in Poland and in the world.”
Iga Swiatek in 2022
WWWWLWLWWW Ranked no.1, Swiatek played her last match on the 6th of November when she capitulated to world no.5 Aryna Sabalenka 6-2 2-6 6-1 in the semifinal in Fort Worth (draw).
This year the Pole has an overall 67-9 match record. The Pole clinched 8 titles in 2022 in Doha, Indian Wells, Miami, Stuttgart, Rome, French Open, U.S. Open and San Diego. Swiatek got to the final in Ostrava.
