Psychologist Ewa Woydyłło calls Iga Świątek 'a silly little thing, frightened' in podcast; host Lech Sidor apologizes, removes episode

The interview

Ewa Woydyłło, an 86-year-old psychologist with a doctorate and decades of public authority in Poland, appeared with Lech Sidor in "Return", the interview strand of his YouTube podcast Trzeci Serwis, in an episode published on Sunday, 2 August 2026. The conversation turned to Iga Świątek's current form and her working relationship with team psychologist Daria Abramowicz. Woydyłło did not hold back.

“She sprang up as a star, cast herself as a sensible, mature, clever girl, and most likely she is a silly little thing, frightened, and does not herself understand what is going on. It is not only Abramowicz sitting there, but three or four gentlemen, her father, her sister. It is not that results do not matter to her. They do. When she loses she is very sad, worried about herself, angry on court. And she used to be a radiant, victorious goddess of tennis.”

The psychologist also described Świątek as a "falling meteor" who had burned out after a few years of spectacular success, and suggested the player should go to university. She questioned Abramowicz's role, saying the psychologist was "probably there for the money" and "does nothing, sits and watches matches." Woydyłło additionally made sexist remarks about Aryna Sabalenka, calling her "a man playing women's tennis" and "Łukaszenka's pet." Sidor himself described Świątek's smile as a "nervous tic," prompting laughter from Woydyłło.

Immediate backlash

The episode triggered a swift and sharp reaction. Psychologist Dorota Zawadzka wrote on Facebook that the words were not sports analysis or psychological reflection, but labels stuck on a young woman under unimaginable pressure.

“The words that Iga is a silly little thing, frightened and does not understand what is going on are not sports analysis. That is not even psychological reflection. Those are labels stuck on a young woman who has for years been functioning under pressure that most of us will never experience. And cannot even imagine. Mr Sidor included.”

Psychiatrist Maja Herman noted that the problem was judging the person rather than the behavior. Journalist Jacek Hołub called the comments a scandal and an act of verbal violence. Cross-country skiing champion Justyna Kowalczyk-Tekieli posted on Instagram that she had often listened to Woydyłło's podcasts but would no longer do so: "I won't anymore. It's a shame."

Removal and apology

On Tuesday, 4 August, the episode was deleted from YouTube. The "Trzeci Serwis" team issued a statement on social media acknowledging their editorial failure.

“We removed the 'Return' episode with Ewa Woydyłło. At the production and post-production stage we wrongly and very naively assumed that only the speaker is responsible for the words spoken in the program. After your feedback and the media reaction, we understood that we bear responsibility for what content enters tennis discourse and what level that discourse maintains. On this front we lost 0:6, 0:6. We sincerely apologize to Iga Świątek, her team, and all fans.”

Despite the removal, fragments of the over 90-minute conversation continued to circulate online. Woydyłło said she was taken aback by the reaction. Asked about accusations of contempt, she told the daily Fakt: "Someone accuses me of contempt. Unfortunately, I know Polish well. Let anyone show me one word, one sentence in that interview that would show contempt." She said the words at issue were diminutives: "That I used the diminutive glupiutka, and wystraszona? That expresses concern. Yes, the girl has lost her grip on herself a little. And that is not contemptuous. If someone were not worried about her, they would say: she cannot play. And I do not say that. I speak in very kind words."

Świątek's form and the wider context

The controversy did not emerge in a vacuum. Świątek, a six-time Grand Slam winner and former world No. 1, has not lifted a trophy in 2026. She has slipped in the WTA rankings, exiting tournaments earlier than usual, her game marked by visible tension and unforced errors. Sidor has long advanced theories about her decline and her relationship with Abramowicz, drawing sharp responses from Świątek's camp. Her father once wrote to Sidor and former coach Artur Szostaczko: "What have you both achieved? Almost nothing. Mind your own business. You know nothing, you sleep at the feet."

Several commentators noted that criticizing a player's performance is legitimate, but Woydyłło's language crossed into personal denigration. The episode reignited debate about the boundaries of public commentary on athletes' mental states and the responsibilities of platforms that host such discussions.