World No. 1 tennis player Iga Świątek and coach Wim Fissette have decided to part ways owing to unexpected circumstances. This move comes just months after their cooperation began in October 2024, following Świątek’s breakup with her previous coach, Tomasz Wiktorowski.
Fissette’s coaching expertise with top players such as Kim Clijsters, Naomi Osaka, and Angelique Kerber piqued Świątek’s interest in their collaboration. The union wanted to improve Świątek’s play on all surfaces and strengthen her standing at the top of women’s tennis.
However, the relationship had obstacles from the start. In late 2024, Świątek had a big setback when she earned a one-month doping suspension after testing positive for trimetazidine, detected in contaminated sleep medication. This suspension, which ran from September 12 to October 4, caused her to miss three events and derailed the momentum she had built up throughout the season.
After returning to competition, Świątek struggled to reclaim her dominant form. Notably, she lost consecutive matches to American Coco Gauff, including one in the United Cup final in January 2025. These problems, combined with the pressure to retain her top status, may have influenced her choice to quit her collaboration with Fissette.
The particular reasons for their split remain unknown, leading to speculation in the tennis community. Analysts think that Świątek’s brief collaboration and external problems may have hampered the formation of a coherent player-coach dynamic.
Świątek’s preparation for the Australian Open is complicated by the absence of a head coach. The absence of a coach can provide strategic and psychological challenges, but it also provides an opportunity for Świątek to show toughness and agility on the court.
Fissette sees this as another chapter in his long coaching career, which has included relationships with a number of notable players. His future plans have not been publicised, but his track record suggests that he will continue to be a popular tennis trainer.
The tennis community will keenly examine Świątek’s performance in upcoming tournaments, eager to see how she navigates this transition phase. Her ability to overcome recent setbacks and maintain her position as a dominant figure in women’s tennis will be a testament to her tenacity and talent.