If there was a classic Iga Swiatek way to silence her critics, it was winning the Toronto title and ending her drought. The Pole even dedicated the victory to everyone who has faced “unfair judgement.” But clearly, the criticism still got under her skin, as she didn’t hide her frustration with some of the opinions surrounding her. Now, Chris Evert has stepped in to back Swiatek amid the backlash she has faced.

“Sometimes I wonder if people really understand what young athletes in the spotlight have to go through behind the scenes, meaning….hateful comments, shameful comments, hurtful comments,” said Evert on X. She also shared her thoughts on how social media has made it easier for critics to target players with hateful comments.

“This is what social media has opened up, and there is much more exposure to negative comments. Many would say it’s the price to pay, but it’s still…. awful…” penned Evert.

Having won the title in Toronto, Swiatek spoke about the criticisms she was facing over her form in the press conference. The Pole admitted that the key ingredient behind her success in Canada was her ability to separate her mind from all the external noise, enabling her to focus on her game and sharpen her skills.

“Sometimes people are just judging, but it’s good to focus on how to create space for you, just focus on yourself,” said Swiatek in her press conference. “It’s not so easy to do that but the best thing about these two weeks was that I could let it go. This anger came after I won.”

Swiatek took a shot at the experts, especially those back home who had been criticizing her approach to the game in recent times. The home media has always held Swiatek to very high standards and have often been harsh on the Pole as she has struggled to get consistent results this year. Before the hard-court swing, the six-time Major champion talked about not getting privacy in her home in Poland to escape the constant scrutiny on her on- and off-court life.

In fact, a psychologist in Poland criticized Swiatek in a podcast and said, “She’s [Iga] emerged as such a star and has portrayed herself as such a thoughtful, mature, and intelligent girl. But she’s probably just stupid and scared. She doesn’t understand what’s happening.”

Swiatek may not have responded to the criticism directly, but she found a much louder way to answer it: by winning the National Bank Open.

Coming into Toronto, Swiatek had a 23-12 win-loss record for the season, which is below the Pole’s usual standards, with the former World No.1 having one semifinal appearance in Rome. However, she was able to hit her best form in Toronto, something which will hold her in good stead going into the Cincinnati Open and the US Open.

Iga Swiatek Was Back to Top Form in Toronto

Swiatek’s campaign in Toronto was significant for the Pole not only in terms of the result but also in the opponents she beat while going for the title. She began with dominant wins over the likes of Sara Bejlek and Viktorija Golubic in the earlier rounds, before facing Marta Kostyuk in the fourth round.

Kostyuk had beaten Swiatek at the French Open this year, a match where the Pole struggled to hold on to a lead. However, on this occasion, she recovered from being a set down and beat the in-form Ukrainian in three sets, which was followed by another dominant win over Diana Shnaider in the quarterfinals.

Swiatek faced Elina Svitolina in the semifinals, with the Ukrainian already beating the Pole at Indian Wells and Rome this year, two venues where the Pole has a good record. In Toronto, Swiatek started well in the first set, but she lost the second set in a one-sided manner, a mid-match dip in form that has affected the Pole’s game in recent months. However, on this occasion, she regrouped and was able to win in three sets.

The final was one-sided for Swiatek against Elena Rybakina, who had beaten the Pole in Melbourne this year and has often pushed her in their matches. Winning in Toronto helped Swiatek to climb up to No.5 on the rankings, but now the Pole will have to defend championship points in Cincinnati, having won the title last year. An early exit for Swiatek, along with good performances from the likes of Amanda Anisimova and Kostyuk, could knock the Pole out of the Top 10 as well.

Swiatek is all set to begin her campaign in Cincinnati against Emiliana Arango in the second round, and should the Pole win that, she will have Maria Sakkari in the third round, who has beaten Swiatek four times, including in Doha this year.