Amidst pressure from tennis world, Polish Tennis Association president resigns over sexual abuse allegations
Polish Tennis Association president Miroslaw Skrzypczynski has resigned following allegations of sexual assault.
Skrzypczynski has been accused of a number of heinous crimes, including molesting underage female tennis players, beating his daughter, and engaging in domestic violence against his ex-wife, Renata Skrzypczyska, a notable Polish tennis player in the 1980s. Polish MP Katarzyna Kotula also leveled similar charges against the tennis association's president recently.
In light of that, the Polish Tennis Federation declared in a statement that Miroslaw Skrzypczynski tendered his resignation, which the board unanimously accepted. They also announced that Dariusz Ukaszewski, the vice president, will take over as the new president.
"At the meeting of the Board of Directors of the Polish Tennis Association, which took place on November 24, 2022, Mr. Mirosaw Skrzypczyski submitted a declaration of resignation from the position of Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Polish Tennis Association with immediate effect. Mirosaw Skrzypczyski's resignation was unanimously accepted," the statement read.
Iga Swiatek and Hubert Hurkacz speak out against Polish Tennis President's sexual assault allegations
A few days after allegations of sexual assault by Polish Tennis Association president Miroslaw Skrzypczynski came to light, World No. 1 Iga Swiatek took to social media and made a lengthy statement on the issue. The 21-year-old emphasized the value of helping people who are victims of violence and demanded that tennis authorities take the required action.
"I feel that as a current leader of women’s tennis I can’t be silent about particular matters. Considering my sensitivity, knowledge, boundaries and strength I have at the moment to support people who suffer or encourage you to do something, like taking care about our mental health. And that’s why I know that, when it comes to physical violence or emotional abuse, the most important issue is think and being sensitive about victims. And when we speak up about something wrong happening, we need to think about them first and most of all," Swiatek wrote.
"I’m against violence in sports, in tennis, in every discipline and in everyday life. That’s why I consider the articles about the president of the Polish Tennis Association as a serious 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. 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," she added.
The Pole also stated that victims must seek help and not keep quiet about their pain.
"What I feel I can do is to encourage you to look for help when something bad happens in sports communities and in every situation in life when there is a possibility that someone can suffer from physical violence or emotional abuse. If someone suffers because of it, the most important thing is to take care of themselves and seek support, e.g. there are hotlines and organizations helping people who suffer because of violence," she expressed, adding, "This can be my role and this is how I can use my influence here - being a voice who tries to educate and remind that the most significant thing is to look for help when you need it."
I feel that as a current leader of women's tennis I can’t be silent about particular matters: https://t.co/cfyHa3Lbeg
Hubert Hurkacz, like his compatriot and World No. 1 Swiatek, has also called for action against Miroslaw Skrzypczynski. He took to Twitter and wrote:
"I support all women and all victims of abuse. 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 - Mirosław Skrzypczyński. I stand with all victims of abuse."
Wspieram wszystkie kobiety i wszystkie ofiary przemocy.
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I support all women and all victims of abuse. https://t.co/bSkusRQQIL