Iga Swiatek isn’t having her best year. She started off strong, but soon the trajectory dipped in a way it had never before. And amid the slump, the Polish star sacked her coach despite their exemplary partnership that helped her rise to the top. Now, after a little over a week, the world no. 1 is on the lookout for a new coach. Her preference: A foreign coach – someone from outside Poland. While people are discussing who could potentially be Swiatek’s new coach, former tennis pro, Alexandra Stevenson weighed in with a suggestion that’s got fans thinking. 

In conversation with tennis expert Hughes Laverdiere on her podcast Serving Aces, Alexandra Stevenson talked about the chances of Brad Gilbert coaching Iga Swiatek. “Brad Gilbert is free. I think Brad is going to go to the men’s side. But that would be kind of hilarious if he showed up with Iga Swiatek next year. Do you think he’s going to give the women’s side another turn? I don’t know,” Stevenson said.

However, there is something about Swiatek’s hunt for a new coach that perplexes Stevenson. Alexandra can’t understand why Swiatek is so particular about a foreign coach. Their wild guess: The word ‘foreign’ is probably a hint that World No. 1 wants to move out of Poland. However, it might also mean she already has someone in mind. Is it Gilbert?

Well, Gilbert is not having the best time of his coaching career either. His most recent association was with Coco Grauff – which came to an end last month after the player’s long dry run. We know it appears so, but don’t let Gilbert’s recent failure to bring out Coco’s best fool you. Jog your memory a bit, and probably flashes of Andre Agassi wreaking havoc on major courts would pop into your mind. Well, it was under Gilbert’s tutelage that Agassi bagged 6 of his 8 major titles. In addition, Gilbert has also coached tennis greats such as Andy Roddick, Andy Murray, and Kei Nishikori. 

Whether or not Gilbert will be Swiatek’s coach is uncertain. However, experts are sure what Swiatek needs to work on to improve her game. They also talked about who could make an ideal coach. According to Stevenson, Swiatek should be looking for someone who can help her improve her serve. “She’s so quick around the court, but when she moves forward she is very uncomfortable. If you make that a skill and make her serve bigger, she could really dominate,” said the 43-year-old.

Iga Swiatek is dealing with a lot of things concurrently. Her on-court struggles, back-to-back tournaments, and most importantly the shakeup in her backroom staff may be playing a role in reducing her focus.

It’s time for Iga Swiatek to get her focus back on court

Iga Swiatek’s move to sack her coach, Tomasz Wiktorowski, has the media divided in two. Some think it’s the player’s frustration due to recent failure while others are talking about the duo’s lack of chemistry. As per an industry insider, Wiktorowski might have been a good coach, but he didn’t share a good bond with Swiatek, particularly lately.

“They didn’t go to coffee or dinner together. There was no special chemistry between them, but there were victories. It worked and everyone was comfortable,” said the insider. Recalling an incident from the Olympic Games, the insider further added, “He became nervous, used offensive words, and increasingly treated Iga harshly, such as in New York. He also led a completely different lifestyle than Iga. Less sporty, let’s call it.” 

Whatever it was, it’s been done. And probably we will never know what really happened unless one of them speaks about it openly. For a player of Swiatek’s caliber, there is no time for mulling over the past. Every tennis player has zig-zags on their career graph no matter their skills. Iga Swiatek has proved she has what it takes to bounce back. However, a good coach might make that happen sooner. All we say is – good luck with your search Swiatek! Who do you think will be Iga Swiatek’s next coach? Let us know in the comments below: