Since her disappointing quarterfinal exit at the US Open, Iga Swiatek has been in the news for all the wrong reasons. First, it was her Korea Open withdrawal due to “fatigue,” and then add a China Open absence, owing to “personal” reasons. Soon, the Pole dropped another bombshell by parting ways with her three-year coach, Tomasz Wiktorowski! Given her past issues with the Polish coach, Iga Swiatek’s future coaching choice is a major topic of discussion. A former tennis player and current commentator, Joanna Sakowicz-Kostecka, has suggested a surprising strategy with a connection to her rival, Aryna Sabalenka.

The player-turned-commentator spoke to Sport. Pl about how Swiatek should continue training with her long-term sparring partner, Tomasz Moczek, instead of hiring a new coach. For the unversed, a sparring partner (not a permanent coach) is a training and hitting partner who assists in improving a player’s skills. She appreciated Swiatek’s ‘limited’ yet effective staff, who can help her during the “WTA Finals to Riyadh” as well.

Sakowicz-Kostecka also showed her optimism about Swiatek reaching World No. 1 at only 23 years of age! She further added, “She knows perfectly well what needs to be improved, what needs to be played in training, and it is able to provide her sparring partner who has been working with her for years. It will indicate the nuances associated with the setting, minor corrections.” 

So, who will become the new coach of the Polish woman? In Sakowicz-Kostecka’s opinion, “Świątek’s sparring partner, Tomasz Moczek, may currently be a good option for a coach. Of course, this is not a long-term solution, but it may help in the short term. He would therefore become a temporary coach.” Further citing Sabalenka’s example, Sakowicz-Kostecka built on the same idea and said,

“It’s a popular direction in tennis ladies. Aryna Sabalenka has been training with her former sparring partner for five years. Anton Dubrow pierced the ball with her until she finally decided that he would be best suited for the first trainer.” 

For context. Sabalenka hired her former hitting partner, Anton Dubrov, as her coach in 2020, replacing longtime coach Dmitry Tursunov. Not only the two reached a No. 1 ranking in 2023, but the coach also fixed Sabalenka’s longstanding serving issues (a couple of years ago). But will the same benefit Swiatek as well?

After ending ties with the former World No. 2 player and coach, Iga Swiatek opted to take a “couple of weeks” before starting her “cooperation with a new coach.” The 23-year-old, who won 19 titles, including four grand slams, under her former coach’s guidance, further revealed her decision to hire a foreign coach (non-Polish) in order to take “the next step of” her career. Despite ensuring fans to let them know about her decision, Swiatek, who withdrew from the Wuhan Open, has remained silent on the matter since her announcement.

In the meantime, news about her troublesome relationship with her former Polish coach shook fans worldwide!

“He became nervous, used offensive words..” reveals an insider on Iga Swiatek’s partnership with Wiktorowski!

As per an insider’s report to sport.pl, Iga Swiatek and Wiktorowski shared no “special chemistry.” Their professional relationship showed promise, with Swiatek reaching the No. 1 spot and also having a 37-match streak win in 2022 after he joined her team at the end of the 2021 season. But off the court, they had “limited contacts.”

Further reports revealed how the 43-year-old coach harshly treated her during their practice sessions and made sarcastic comments, too. “He became nervous, used offensive words, and more and more often he treated Iga harshly, such as in New York. He also led a completely different lifestyle than Iga. Less sporty, let’s call it that,” the insider said.

Even during her US Open campaign, Swiatek’s avoidance of taking advice from her coach did not go unnoticed. Per the insider, Swiatek knew that “returning to the tour in the same line-up made no sense.” Now, as Swiatek navigates around these challenging times, with or without a permanent coach, hopefully, she will emerge stronger than ever!