“She’s a Ranking Player,” Iga Swiatek’s Coach Wim Fissette Doesn’t See the Former World No.1 Taking a Break or Skipping Big Tournaments

Iga Swiatek has competed in all the tournaments she featured in last season but she's yet to win a title.

“She’s a Ranking Player,” Iga Swiatek’s Coach Wim Fissette Doesn’t See the Former World No.1 Taking a Break or Skipping Big Tournaments

Wim Fissette, Iga Swiatek (Images via X/Jimmie48 Photography)

Six months into the 2025 season, Iga Swiatek has featured in all the tournaments that she played last year. Despite struggling to win a title and sometimes looking drained in matches, she has never opted for a break or missed any big tournament. Her coach, Wim Fissette, has revealed that the Polish star is unlikely to take a break because she’s a ranking player.

Swiatek has always pushed herself for more titles in her career, but in recent times, things haven’t gone her way. She has not won any title and the last time she lifted one was at the 2024 French Open. Also, the Roland Garros title run was the last time she made it to a final in the WTA Tour.

That has seen her drop from the top of the WTA rankings. She first left the no.1 spot following a month’s suspension for testing positive for the banned substance trimetazidine in August. That led Sabalenka to rack up ranking points to become the new World No.1 in October. Then in May, she dropped out of the top 4 after losing to Danielle Collins at the Italian Open.

After losing to Coco Gauff at the Madrid Open, there were rumors that she might skip the grass-court season ahead of hard court season in August. But, she revealed days later that it was untrue and that she was going to play the 2025 Wimbledon Championship no matter the results at the end of the clay season.

During an interview with her coach, Wim Fissette, he was asked if Swiatek would ever take a break. The Belgian coach revealed to Ben Rothenberg that the 24-year-old is a player focused on rankings, which makes it not an option to miss any big tournaments or take a major break in her career:

I mean, I guess for me it would be. But, she’s a ranking player. She loves the ranking – as it’s great, I think, also got the WTA, that you have players like Sabalenka’s and her, and Coco; they’re chasing the ranking…Iga is a ranking player, so I don’t see it happening.

Fissette is one of the most respected coaches on tour having led Angelique Kerber at the 2018 Wimbledon Championship and Naomi Osaka to two Grand Slam titles. He also coached Victoria Azarenka and Simona Halep, but he’s yet to record any success with Swiatek. He will hope that the 2025 French Open will be their first.

Iga Swiatek excited to beat Elina Svitolina to reach the semi-finals of the Roland Garros

Iga Swiatek extended her run at the Roland Garros to 26 consecutive victories after beating Elina Svitolina on Tuesday (June 3) to reach her fourth straight semi-final at the clay-court Grand Slam. The four-time champion needed just an hour and 41 minutes to beat the Ukrainian 6-1, 7-5 on Court Philippe-Chatrier.

Elina Svitolina and Iga Swiatek (via X/The Tennis Letter)
Elina Svitolina and Iga Swiatek (via X/The Tennis Letter)

After the match, she stated that despite the score seeming straightforward, she had to fight for every point to win the match. She added that the Roland Garros is one tournament where she easily gets an urge to fight on the court:

Even though first set, the score looks pretty straightforward, it wasn’t like that in any other games. I had to fight for every point. I’m happy that I also stepped up when she broke me in the second set, and that I kept my intensity until the end. I feel like on this court and overall, like, Roland Garros, I should always push until the end and fight for everything.

Swiatek will now face Aryna Sabalenka in the semi-finals. She holds an 8-4 lead in their head-to-head record and 5-1 on clay. However, Sabalenka won their most recent meeting at the 2024 Cincinnati Open, beating Swiatek 6-3, 6-3. It will be their first meeting at Roland Garros.

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