Iga Swiatek offered a revealing look at her emotional state in recent months " which included a doping suspension, coming to grips with knowing she might not return to No. 1 this season and "three weeks crying daily" " in a lengthy social media post that also discussed online criticism she received for nearly hitting a ball boy by hitting a ball in anger between points. "I see there's been a lot of recent talk about changes in my on-court behavior and emotions," Swiatek, a five-time Grand Slam champion, posted on Instagram a day before the start of the Miami Open, where she is seeded second.

"Although I'm not comfortable explaining myself, it's time I share my perspective to stop the speculation and baseless theories." Swiatek addressed what happened last week at the tournament in Indian Wells, California, where she smacked a ball and it landed on the court close to the ball boy before bounding toward the stands. The episode happened during her semifinal loss to eventual champion Mirra Andreeva.