Iga Swiatek announced a few days ago the name of her new coach: Wim Fissette, who is fresh from a professional pathwith Naomi Osaka, and who during his career was the coach of three WTA No.1s such as Kim Clijsters, Victoria Azarenka and Simona Halep. The Polish player, who just this week took the WTA ranking throne from Aryna Sabalenka, is trying to recharge her batteries in view of the end of the season and, above all, in view of 2025.
ADVERTISEMENT
Fissette, in an interview with Eurosport, talkedabout what her goals will be with the advent of next season: "I really want to experience the clay season with her. Live those tournaments day after day, especially Roland Garros. I am clear that I will learn a lot from her, I will see how she experiences theclay-courts and what makes it so special, it is important to discover that process and the thought with which she faces this part of the tour. Of course, what we want is for Iga to continue to be the queen on that surface. This will be the main goal, since everyone wants to see Iga reign on clay. Even the fans themselves place her as the queen of the surface. Obviously, being able to make an impact in the other Slams will also be a primary goal,perhaps obtaining a greater degree of comfort on faster surfaces. However, it is not easy to have so much success on clay, play so many matches in a few weeks and then switch to grass. You have to be comfortable, trust your game plan and your movements. We will try different methods until we find success."
ADVERTISEMENT
Swiatek, who has not played since the US Open and missed the entire trip to China, said she was happy to collaborate with Wim Fissette and, in her message announcing their collaboration, she wrote: "I have some news for you today. I have to tell you that I am excited and motivated to start a new chapter in my career. I am happy to announce that Wim Fissette will be joining our team. As you know, I am preparing for the WTA Finals, but this is a long-term choice, not a short-term one. I have said many times that my career is a marathon, not a sprint, and I am working and making decisions with that approach. I am very excited to work with Wim. She has a great knowledge of the game and a lot of experience at the highest level of tennis. We need to get to know each other better but we're off to a good start and I can't wait to get back on the court and play."
Iga has ended her partnership with coach Tomasz Wiktorowski: a collaboration that led the Polish tennis player to win four Slam titles and reach the top of the WTA rankings. The 23-year-old's former coach himself explained to the Polish newspaper Przegladsportowy the reasons for the termination of the relationship with Swiatek, clarifying that the decision to end the collaboration came by mutual agreement.
"There has been a lot of speculation and insinuations. Certainly too many, given that the statement issued defines our decision very precisely. Just read it with understanding and not with the intent of sensationalism. Our collaboration ended with respect for both parties and no fake news will be able to change that. I think that in general we had a great relationship as a team. In three years of intense collaboration it is impossible to avoid difficult situations, but we have always found a way to reach an agreement and clarify things. Our priority has always been Iga and everything related to the preparation of a player at the highest level. This separation was simply a necessity. We have never made sudden and, above all, ill-considered decisions," he explained.
ADVERTISEMENT
In the meantime - as mentioned - after almost a year, Aryna Sabalenka is again the WTA ranking leader, overtaking Swiatek. The overtaking took place this week, with the Belarusian jumping to the lead with 9706 points compared to the 9665 of her Polish rival. The thronewas conquered by the 3-time Slam champion following a series of important results on the WTA Tour: the triumph at the Australian Open and US Open, the victories at the WTA 1000 in Cincinnati and Wuhan and the quarterfinals in Beijing allowed the 26-year-old to recover all the disadvantage, taking advantage of Iga's period of absence from the tour for personal reasons. A recalculation of the points was decisive: each player is required to play 6 WTA 500 in a season to avoid incurring penalties. Both, however, will miss the 500 in Tokyo and will lose further points. Iga was the best from November 6, 2023 to Monday, October 21, 2024, reaching 125 weeks: seventh all-time, having already done better than Ashleigh Barty (121) and Justine Henin (117). Sabalenka has now regained the throne of women's tennis after a brief period during last year, from September 11 to November 5. The Belarusian should retain the WTA No. 1 until the end of the season: Swiatek will have to defend the success of the WTA Finals obtained in 2023, while Aryna needs to get past the group stage, to stay at the top.
