The 2026 season hasn’t gone the way Iga Swiatek would have wanted. Having won just one title so far and performed poorly in Grand Slams, she clearly hasn’t been at her best. Fingers have been raised at her psychologist, Daria Abramowicz, who is quite a controversial figure. Some fans believe that she is to blame for the Pole’s underwhelming displays. But Swiatek’s childhood coach, Katerina Urbanova, is completely against the criticism that has been directed towards Daria.

“That’s too simple an explanation,” she told Sport.pl in an interview. “I see a real smear campaign against Daria Abramowicz. The truth is, Iga chooses her team. She’s a world-class player who works with those she trusts. She’s already achieved a lot, and she wants more. It’s possible, but you have to chase the top, which—let’s be honest—is eluding her. Sabalenka and Rybakina are very strong. None of the top rivals are afraid of Iga anymore; these are not the times.”

Swiatek and Daria have been working together since 2019. The two haven’t had any known rifts with each other. In fact, Swiatek had even credited Daria for making her “smarter” after her maiden Grand Slam triumph at the 2020 French Open. But fans have still called for Daria’s removal from the team, as they believe she is the one to blame for Swiatek’s overly aggressive behavior in recent years.

An incident that triggered the backlash came at the 2025 Indian Wells Masters. Daria was present in the stands as Swiatek took on Mirra Andreeva in the semifinals. With the match not going her way, the Pole became frustrated and hit a ball straight towards the direction of a ball boy. Though the ball never made contact with the ball boy, boos rang out all around the court against Swiatek. Daria also grabbed attention during the match as she too was seen shouting from the stands. Andreeva eventually won the match 7-6, 1-6, 6-3.

Though Swiatek has never spoken against Daria, there are still many questions around her place in the team. However, it doesn’t look like the World No. 9 will make any changes to the team anytime soon. Daria has been with Swiatek since she was a junior in tennis, and it doesn’t seem that the two will suddenly part ways.

Like Daria, Swiatek herself has also faced ample criticism. The critics have especially been harsh to her this season due to her limited success. While her rank may have fallen to No. 9, she is still one of the most successful players on the WTA circuit. Despite achieving so much over the years, her critics always have something to say against her. Urbanova believes that Swiatek deserves much more respect than she gets, as she is always trying to improve herself.

Katerina Urbanova called out Iga Swiatek’s critics

“I don’t like it. Iga has achieved so much that she deserves more respect. I look at it from the outside, and honestly, it makes me sick to my stomach to see what happens after her defeats. Let’s respect a girl who works really hard, who’s going through a tough time, but you can’t say she lacks ambition, that she’s not looking for a way to get back on track. She hires more coaches and spends her own money on her development,” she further said in the interview.

Urbanova also believes that Swiatek is better off living outside Poland as she won’t always be under the scanner.

“People are so quick to judge, and we don’t know many things about her life. How she copes off the court, what she has to deal with. She’s returning from tournaments in Warsaw, and I think it might be better if she moved abroad? Let her live, let her make mistakes and get back on track.”

After being eliminated from the Round of 16 at the US Open, Swiatek is yet to begin her Asian swing. She won’t be participating in the Singapore Open and will instead enter the Beijing Masters. The 25-year-old is then likely to participate in the Wuhan Open as well, which is the final Masters event on the WTA calendar.

Having not qualified for the WTA Finals yet, these upcoming tournaments will decide whether Swiatek makes it through or not. She will have to go on a deep run in at least one of the Masters events to stand a chance of qualifying for the year-end tournament.