Iga Swiatek Lifts Lid on Wim Fissette Breakup Decision: “I Needed a Change”

Iga Swiatek will next be seen in action at the Stuttgart Open, where she will be hoping to end her title drought.

Iga Swiatek Lifts Lid on Wim Fissette Breakup Decision: “I Needed a Change”

Wim Fissette, Iga Swiatek (Image via X/The Tennis Letter)

In Short
  • Iga Swiatek parted ways with coach Wim Fissette after a disappointing performance at the Miami Open.
  • Swiatek emphasized that her decision was not impulsive and stemmed from a loss of confidence in her skills.
  • She is set to compete at the Stuttgart Open, aiming for her third title in the tournament.

Iga Swiatek, after lifting the United Cup title with Poland earlier this year, struggled in the next four singles tournaments she played, crashing out in the quarterfinals of the Australian Open, Qatar Open, and Indian Wells.

But it was after her shock opening-round exit at the Miami Open, after a three-set defeat to countrywoman Magda Linette, that Swiatek decided to part ways with coach Wim Fissette. Swiatek, in her recent interview with Sport.pl revealed that she did not act on her impulse when deciding to end her partnership with the Belgian coach. But she also chose not to reveal the reason behind the split.

This is between us. I don’t want to go into details. It’s definitely not something someone like me decides to do after one failure. I wouldn’t make such a decision lightly. Sometimes you can see me as an emotional person, but I really don’t make decisions impulsively. I’m quite rational. I like to give myself time to make decisions. Besides, I don’t make many changes within the team.

The decision to end her partnership with Fissette was not made in Miami, revealed the former World No.1. In Doha, she started losing confidence in her skills, and the same continued in the couple of tournaments she played next.

After my loss to Maria Sakkari, we sat down and had a long talk. We discussed what to change and how to approach the following week so I could get back to my solid game. And indeed, we made some progress before Indian Wells. But when I considered the whole picture, I decided I needed a change.

Iga Swiatek added

The start of the 2025 season was not at all a far cry from this season because Swiatek, even though she was making deep runs, did not reach a final until the grass swing. The biggest tournament that she won under Fissette was last year’s Wimbledon, where the Pole secured an emphatic double bagel win over Amanda Anisimova to end her title drought as well as win her first grass-court title on the tour.

Iga Swiatek to play at the Stuttgart Open next

The clay swing on the WTA Tour is set to start next week. Iga Swiatek will be starting his campaign on her favorite surface at the Stuttgart Open and will be bidding to win her third title in the tournament.

Iga Swiatek
Iga Swiatek (Image via X/United Cup)

It’s the first clay-court tournament of the season, so you can settle into the rhythm a bit more easily and get a feel for the surface. It’s unique and demanding. I like going back there, getting a feel for the court and the ball, focusing on the game, and not overanalyzing everything. The tournament is short—you arrive, play your matches, enjoy it, and then leave.

Iga Swiatek told Sport.pl

Swiatek lifted the WTA 500 title in Stuttgart back in 2022 by defeating World No.1 Aryna Sabalenka. She successfully defended her title the following season by again defeating the four-time Grand Slam singles champion. But last year, eventual champion Jelena Ostapenko ended her run in the quarterfinals.

On the clay swing last year, Swiatek, after her Stuttgart exit, suffered defeats in the semifinals of the Madrid Open, the third round of the Italian Open, and the semifinals of the French Open, where she was chasing a historic four-peat.

The last time the four-time Roland Garros champion won a clay-court title was at the 2024 Roland Garros by breezing past Jasmine Paolini, winning her third consecutive title in the tournament. Last year, apart from Wimbledon, Swiatek also made the finals of the Bad Homburg Open, Cincinnati Open, and the Korea Open, winning the latter two.

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