The quarterfinal clash between Iga Swiatek and Maria Sakkari at the 2026 Qatar Open delivered far more drama than the scoreline suggested. After being dominated early, Sakkari flipped the script to stun the world number two, 2-6, 6-4, 7-5, reaching her third Doha semifinal – and first in three years. But while the comeback itself was remarkable, the spotlight quickly shifted to events unfolding off the baseline.

As the match slipped away in the second set, cameras repeatedly cut to Swiatek’s box, particularly to her long-time sports psychologist Daria Abramowicz. Animated gestures, shouting, and visible frustration from the stands triggered a wave of reactions online. Fans described the scenes as counter-productive rather than supportive. Observers felt the Pole looked increasingly unsettled, with her rhythm breaking down just as Sakkari raised her level.

The perception among viewers: instead of calming a struggling player, the reactions seemed to amplify the moment’s weight. Beyond the controversy, the statistics underline how rare the win was. Sakkari became the first player ever to defeat Swiatek in a WTA 1000 match after losing the opening set, cutting the Pole’s record in such matches to 109-1 on the WTA Tour. Snapped a five-year drought against Swiatek to level their head-to-head at 4-4. The result was already a big setback for Iga Swiatek. But the controversy?

Well, that’s not something new when it comes to her psychologist. Abramowicz has long been a central figure in Swiatek’s career. The partnership began in 2019 when Swiatek was a teenager outside the top 100. Since then, the Pole has won 25 titles, six Grand Slams, and spent 125 weeks as World No. 1 – achievements often credited to their strong mental-training collaboration.

Yet scrutiny has followed the duo before, with critics periodically questioning how visible emotional involvement from the player box affects in-match composure. The Doha quarterfinal reignited that debate. Online reactions ranged from concern to outright criticism. Many viewers felt the visible agitation added pressure at a moment Swiatek needed calm decision-making.

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Fans are taking a jibe at Iga Swiatek’s psychologist for her unusual mid-match behavior

There was already plenty of drama in this epic QF duel. There was a moment in the match when we saw Iga Swiatek chasing down a ball that appeared to bounce twice before contact, but the chair umpire initially let play continue. However, later on, the point was subsequently reviewed and overturned, handing it to Sakkari at a pivotal moment in the match.

Coming to this moment, featuring Swiatek’s psychologist Daria Abramowicz, well, this one added a new dimension to this high-voltage clash. Seeing her mid-match reactions, a fan questioned, “That woman always makes nasty faces when Iga is losing, like aren’t you supposed to be the calmer one and help her?”

This wasn’t the first time that we’ve seen Iga Swiatek losing her cool, venting out all her frustrations while playing a match in this part of the world. Even last year, she admitted that she did feel annoyed and angry during the Middle East swing, and the reason for that was the fact that she expected better results. Although she has time and again credited her psychologist for helping her break the “too emotional” stereotype and helping her build some mental resilience on the court, the scenes in Doha tell a different story.

Another fan tweeted, “Mrs. Daria has been ‘supporting’ @iga_swiatek for SEVERAL YEARS. I ask: Is there any progress in the behavior of our wonderful tennis player? In my opinion, the older Iga gets, the more afraid she is of the court. Isn’t this a waste of money on this trainer? 🤔”

Iga Swiatek’s bond with Daria Abramowicz has been put under the microscope time and again. For example, in October 2024, a prominent mental trainer named Jakub B. Baczek expressed his concerns about their long-standing, five-year working relationship. He suggested that this lengthy collaboration could potentially become a “kind of trap.” He labeled it as a pretty unusual situation.

Highlighting a similar thought, a fan wrote, “1) Adults shouldn’t be with their psychologists every single day. 2) Psychologists shouldn’t be giving interviews about their mega-client. This relationship needs some adjustment, imo. At the very least, psychologists need to work out of the public eye. Keep it in the office.”

But it’s not just them; even former tennis player Lech Sidor had previously shared his thoughts on this partnership during a podcast on Eurosport. He had then said that he noticed that Iga Swiatek’s former coach, Tomasz Wiktorowski, was a bit “irritated” by the whole situation. According to Sido, some other sports psychologists also question Abramowicz’s constant presence in Swiatek’s life.

Seeing her recent reactions towards the tennis player, a fan added, “I can’t understand how someone who is supposed to support you emotionally/mentally can yell at you at times when they should be guiding you to a point of balance and tranquility.”

In August 2025, an incident took place during Iga Swiatek’s SF loss to Mirra Andreeva at the Indian Wells. Swiatek appeared to hit a ball towards her team close to a ball boy. Seeing this, Abramowicz was seen shouting from the stands. Following this incident, Polish sports psychologist Dariusz Nowicki claimed “certain boundaries” between Swiatek and her psychologist had been crossed and labeled the partnership “disturbed.”

Seeing her reaction at the 2026 Qatar Open, some of the fans are now asking for an intervention. “Daria Abramowicz yells at her, and Iga becomes even more insecure and exhausted. It’s a shame @WTA doesn’t intervene, since her family has no problem seeing their girl treated this way. It’s all disgusting.”

What are your thoughts on this, though? Also, let us know what you think about Iga Swiatek’s performance at the 2026 Qatar Open.