Iga Swiatek’s Coach Wim Fissette Reveals If He’ll Ever Work with ATP Players

Iga Swiatek is in Montreal and will lock horns with Chinese ace Guo Hanyu in her opening round.

Iga Swiatek’s Coach Wim Fissette Reveals If He’ll Ever Work with ATP Players

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

🔍 Explore this post with:

ChatGPTPerplexityGrok AIGoogle AI

In October last year, Iga Swiatek announced that she had added Wim Fissette to her team after parting ways with longtime coach Tomasz Wiktorowski. The Belgian coach joined Swiatek’s team after leaving four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka‘s team.

Before Osaka and Swiatek, the 45-year-old had worked with 10 WTA players. Under him, Swiatek, Osaka, and Kim Clijsters have emerged victorious in Grand Slam tournaments.

Fissette has never in his coaching career worked with ATP players. When he was asked during the Tennis Insider Club podcast whether he had planned to join an ATP player’s entourage, Fissette, who also never had any offers from men’s players, did not rule out the possibility.

Not necessarily. I’m actually happy and proud to be a WTA coach. I enjoy working with women. I would like, maybe one day, to work with someone on the ATP, but I would not see it as an upgrade. It would be an interesting experience, but I don’t see it as if that would be better for me. No, I am happy as a WTA coach. But as a challenge, at some point, it would be interesting.

Swiatek’s best performance under Fissette came at this year’s Wimbledon, which she ended up winning by double bageling Amanda Anisimova, becoming the second player after Steffi Graf to do this in a Major final. Before Wimbledon, Swiatek also reached her first final on grass – at the Bad Homburg Open but was unsuccessful in defeating World No.4 Jessica Pegula.

Wimbledon was also the Pole ace’s first trophy of the season. Since lifting her fourth Roland Garros title, Swiatek, though she made deep runs, had failed to progress to a final until the Bad Homburg Open.

Iga Swiatek shares the difficulties of reaching the top of the rankings

Last year in August, Aryna Sabalenka ended Iga Swiatek‘s 11-month reign to reclaim her No.1 spot on the rankings table. The reason behind the rankings change was Sabalenka’s impressive performance in the latter part of the hard-court season and Swiatek’s doping scandal.

Iga Swiatek
Iga Swiatek (Image via X/Cycling on TNT Sports)

The six-time Grand Slam champion tested positive for trimetazidine in August and ended up skipping a few mandatory tournaments that affected her rankings. This season, because she failed to defend her points in the five tournaments she played, including at the Roland Garros, Swiatek even dropped to eighth position on the rankings table.

But now, her Wimbledon triumph has given her enough confidence to go for the top spot once again. Swiatek is in Montreal for the Canadian Open, and in the pre-tournament press conference, she shared what it takes mentally and physically to be a World No.1 in the world.

Obviously, to get there is also a challenge, but staying there, for sure, is something that requires…I don’t know, a bit more like mental strength, I would say, and a lot of consistency. So, every year, you always need to be ready for every tournament physically, mentally, and yeah, for sure it’s one of the hardest things to do…like to adjust to being the one that everyone wants to win against.

The Canadian Open is a good opportunity for Swiatek to narrow the rankings gap as Sabalenka has pulled out of the tournament. The Belarusian ace will be playing the Cincinnati Masters in her bid to defend her title.

Swiatek will kick-start her Canadian Open campaign against Guo Hanyu, whom she has never faced in her career. Before setting up the clash with the former World No.1, the Chinese ace knocked out Yulia Putintseva.

It is worth noting that, Swiatek has never progressed beyond the semifinals of the Montreal WTA 1000 tournament, reaching the stage in 2023. She had skipped the tournament last year.

Also read: Washington Director Makes Incredible Confession About Rafael Nadal Upon his Visit in 2021