During a three-set semifinal loss to Mirra Andreeva in Indian Wells, the Polish tennis star smashed the ball in a moment of frustration and it nearly struck a ball kid. The footage of the incident quickly started making rounds on social media and led to the five-time Grand Slam champion receiving criticism and backlash.

Iga Swiatek was beaten by Mirra Andreeva in the semi-finals of Indian Wells on Friday and she narrowly avoided hitting a ball kid in the third set.

Iga Swiatek was hoping to achieve a more prestigious result at the 'BNP Paribas Open' in Indian Wells, a tournament that suits her game very well. The decision of the organizers to change surface after 25 years has made the courts slower even than in previous editions and the particularly high bounces had led some players to compare this surface to red clay.