Recently, when discussing Jannik Sinner's drug ban, Serena Williams said, "I can't help but think about Maria Sharapova all this time. I can't help but feel for her." In a related statement, Sam Stosur said: "My point of view used to be very black and white. You get caught, you are done, no matter what. But I have to say, in this instance, where all those things are the facts, like it’s been proven from many, many doctors and people going through this, a player shouldn’t be banned for this, in my opinion, you shouldn’t be now one or two years banned, which is normally what would happen.”
Nice, but what should have come next was a public apology to Sharapova, whom--without having any relevant information--Stosur harshly criticized upon hearing that the Russian star had been suspended. It didn't come.
I have written a lot about WADA, etc., and the gross unfairness shown toward players like Sharapova and Simona Halep. Craig Reedie, who was president of WADA at the time, publicly stated that--because Sharapova made more money than WADA had in its budget--he was glad to see her brought down. That statement alone was grounds for a lawsuit, but Sharapova didn't file one. And both Sharapova and Halep were (and continue to be) trashed by so-called fans who are familiar with either part of the evidence or--in some cases--none at all.
Now the target is world number 2 Iga Swiatek, who is in what some might call a slump. At any rate, something is wrong, and that includes something wrong on clay courts, which Swiatek has dominated for some time. Many observers are certain (because they have supernatural vision and information-gathering powers) that the problem is the Polish star's mental coach. Others are quick to say that the problem is that Swiatek can no longer "use drugs."
I have no idea what the problem is, though it isn't illogical to wonder whether Swiatek's suspension had a profound psychological effect on her. But that, too, is just a guess. Only Swiatek knows what's really bothering her.
Today's a good day to remember that some of you judge these players way too harshly based on a very limited set of information.
— Jimmie48 Photography (@JJlovesTennis) May 1, 2025
It's always a good idea to assume that you don't know the full picture. No amount of time spent on this app will change that.
Iga Swiatek is an easy target. A rather charming nerd, she prefers Lego construction and map-drawing in the clay to creating TikTok videos (though Aryna Sabalenka has gotten her to do that) and making red carpet appearances. And, according to the hopelessly sexist Jimmy Arias, she's bad for women's tennis because her cap doesn't allow us to see her face ("smile!)". An enthusiastic Swiftie and an avid reader, the world number 2 is intelligent and articulate, but those qualities don't seem to matter much to many who call themselves tennis fans.
This is also a good time to mention that the Ukranian players are still repeatedly bashed on social media for not shaking hands with the Russian and Belarusian players. So, for the hundredth time, they cannot shake hands for fear of having the resulting photos and videos used as propaganda. Is that really so hard to understand? Apparently, it is.
The WTA's top players--Sabalenka, Swiatek, Pegula, Gauff, Svitolina, etc.--are constantly criticized for being too inconsistent, too disappointing, too rich, too lazy, too fill-in-the-blank. The fact of the matter is that they work very hard all the time, they're under a lot of stress, and they're human. They have to deal with fans, sponsors, their teams, constant travel, intense training, injuries, increasing threats from sports gamblers, and questionable drug accusations and bans.
I remember once, many years ago, sitting in the stands of a small court in Charleston. A player had a long discussion with the chair umpire about whether a ball was out, and about the examination of the mark on the clay. A man across from me yelled at her to “shut up and play,” To this day, I regret that I didn’t yell back at him, “You’re here for recreation—she’s trying to make a living,” (I cleaned that up.)
ATP players also get their share of unjust criticism (while getting almost no criticism at all for their sexism and misogyny), but they don't get criticized nearly as much for their appearance, and they don't get threatened with sexual assault and rape (though they do get threatened), nor do they get told on a regular basis that they are inferior athletes because of their gender.
As I've written before, being a sports fan is a personal thing. We identify with athletes, are inspired by them, and project all manner of our own issues onto them. Sports is a kind of shorthand for the lives we all live--enjoy victory or suffer defeat, play it safe or take risks, keep trying or give up. That involves a lot of drama, and a lot of emotion, and that can be exciting. But with increasing access to misinformation and disinformation, an obvious deficit of critical thinking skills among many people, and no end in sight to sexism and misogyny--the world of women's tennis has become increasingly fraught with falsehoods, hostility and all manner of unpleasantness.
Fortunately, there's a lot of positive and interesting news to report about women's tennis, and there are several organizations and individuals who report it--and who also report the not-so-positive news in a rational, fact-based way.
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