Iga Swiatek’s new coach Wim Fissette has proclaimed that the Polish star is “probably the best tennis athlete of all time.”
Fissette described the opportunity to work with Swiatek as “a great honour” and also asserted that “there are certainly some aspects” of the world No 1’s game that can be improved.
Swiatek hired Fissette as her new coach on Thursday following her split with Tomasz Wiktorowski earlier this month.
The renowned Belgian coach has trained an impressive range of stars on the WTA Tour, including four-time Grand Slam winner and former world No 1 Naomi Osaka — who he parted ways with last month.
In a social media post, Swiatek wrote: “I’m excited and motivated to start a new chapter. I’m happy to announce that Wim Fissette is joining our team.
“As you know, I’m preparing for the WTA Finals but my perspective is, as always, long-term, not short-term.
“I said many times that my career is a marathon for me, not a sprint and I’m working, operating and making decisions with this approach.
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“I want to say that I’m very excited and looking forward to working with Wim. He seems to have a great attitude, vision and huge experience at the very top level of tennis.
“It’s always crucial to get to know each other better but we’re off to a good start and I can’t wait to compete soon.”
Fissette revealed how his collaboration with Swiatek came about and highlighted some of the five-time major champion’s key qualities as player.
“Her manager contacted me about ten days ago. He wanted to know if I was interested and available,” the 44-year-old told Belga.
“After the end of my collaboration with Naomi [Osaka], I was hoping to receive a call from another player, and if possible from someone like Iga. It’s obviously a great honour. And very special to be able to coach a world No 1.
“Iga is probably the best tennis athlete of all time. She’s very fast, defends extremely well, is very solid. And she puts a lot of spin on the ball, which makes it difficult for her opponents.
“I hope to be able to improve her game, because there are certainly some aspects that can be improved. It will probably take a little time, because I will have to get to know her.
“We have not set any real goals yet. We will not have much time before the Masters (WTA Finals), but we will try to achieve the best possible result. It will be especially during the preparation for the 2025 season that we will be able to work well.”
Swiatek, who has not played since her US Open quarter-final exit, will next feature at the WTA Finals in Riyadh next month.
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