Iga Świątek didn’t hold back as she breathed a sigh of relief after claiming her first title of 2026 at the Canadian Open in Toronto. The Pole ended an 11-month title drought, with her previous triumph coming at the Korea Open in September 2025.
After facing numerous questions and concerns about her struggles over the past few months, Świątek hit back at her critics and dedicated her latest trophy to those who, like her, have faced hate and unfair judgment.
Iga Świątek Calls Out Critics During Canadian Open 2026 Victory Speech
Świątek staged a phenomenal run to the title, losing just a couple of sets en route. Her path to the final included victories against Sára Bejlek, Viktorija Golubic, Marta Kostyuk, Diana Shnaider, and Elina Svitolina.
In Thursday’s summit clash, she eased past World No. 2 Elena Rybakina 6-2, 6-3 in just one hour and 15 minutes. During her champion’s speech, Świątek highlighted the significance of the triumph after enduring some particularly difficult moments on the court.
The former World No. 1, who confessed to feeling lost on the court in March, suggested that regaining her form while dealing with relentless public scrutiny made the process especially challenging.
“I’m really happy about this tournament. It means so, so much to me because these past months were not easy. I’m really happy that I kept focusing on growing, changing my game a little bit, improving despite all the opinions that many people have about me every day on the internet, live. It’s not easy to deal with all that. So, I’m happy that the reality is different.”
The criticism was not limited to Świątek, with her coaching team also facing scrutiny. That included psychologist Daria Abramowicz and Francisco Roig, the former Rafael Nadal mentor she brought on as her coach in April.
“The reality is that I have people that know me so well and people that support me every week, every day. They’re here to give their best work and just keep pushing. So thank you to the team that is here. Thank you to Francis, who’s probably flying to Cincinnati right now. Sorry that I had to win the first title with you when you weren’t here,” she said.
Świątek dedicated the triumph to those going through similar circumstances, urging them to tune out the outside noise and never lose faith in themselves.
“And as I said, I want to dedicate this title to everyone who is dealing with unfair judgment and hate. Just keep pushing, keep growing, keep focusing on yourself because you know what’s best for you, and always remember what’s ahead and what might be possible, so yeah, here we are.”
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The victory helped Iga Świątek climb a couple of places in the WTA Race, reaching the 10 position. She would now hope to continue her rich vein of form at the ongoing Cincinnati Open, where she is the defending champion.
This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network.