Poland’s most prominent tennis players have called for an investigation to be launched into the president of their tennis federation who has been accused by an MP of sexually abusing her when she was a teenager.
Katarzyna Kotula has said she was abused by Mirosław Skrzypczynski, who at the time was her tennis coach but now heads the Polish tennis federation. Kotula says she was sexually harassed at least a dozen times over three years from the age of 13. Skrzypczynski has also been accused of mentally abusing others in his care.
The revelations come just a month after Polish media outlet Onet published a separate report accusing Skrzypczynski of domestic violence, inappropriate sexual harassment of underage players and using political power to obtain his position. Published on October 31st, that report claimed that he had allegedly committed violence against players, his ex-wife, daughter and mother-in-law.
In wake of the serious allegations that have surfaced, women’s world No.1 Iga Swiatek has issued a statement calling for relevant authorities to investigate the matter.
“Governing bodies should determine what happened and I hope they will take care of this case after the media wrote about the stories of people who they talked with,” Swiatek wrote in a statement which was published on social media. “This is not my role to do the work of governing bodies and journalists, as the matter is too serious, and it’s about people’s life and health.”
“Personally, I was lucky to not experience such difficult, terrible situations and I’m grateful for my dad and for how wisely he managed my career,” she said. “I have an amazing team, safety, and currently I’m really privileged, but I’m aware that not every athlete could have the same independence. I hope that with the exposure of such matters, and solving them carefully and fairly, sports will change for the better in Poland and in the world.”
Poland’s top male player, Hubert Hurkacz, has also issued a statement in which he also calls for there to be an investigation. The former Wimbledon semi-finalist is the first and only man from his country to have won a Masters 1000 title.
“I support all women and all victims of abuse,” Hurkacz wrote. “No coach or guardian should use their power and position towards anyone. Any aggression, both in sports as well as outside of it needs to be condemned and punished. I hope that appropriate authorities will react to the press reports on the subject of the head of the Polish Tennis Association. I stand with all victims of abuse.”
Skrzypczyński, who has been the president of Polish tennis since 2017, has dismissed Kotula’s claims by saying her accusations ‘contain untrue information.’ As it currently stands, he has not been suspended from his position.
