19 out of 22 career titles, including 4 of the 5 Grand Slams, and one Olympic bronze medal. This is the contribution of Iga Swiatek‘s former coach Tomasz Wiktorowski during his 3-year stint with the Polish player. Let alone her rise to World No. 1, and an unprecedented 37-match win streak in 2022. Despite that, Iga shook the tennis world when she parted ways with Wiktorowski. Now, Lech Sidor, a former tennis player, and now Eurosport commentator, shed light on the matter, revealing how Iga and her coach’s “frictions” could have led to their split.

Nearly a month ago, in a heartfelt Instagram post, Swiatek expressed deep gratitude to Wiktorowski for his invaluable contributions to her success. Immediately, speculation arose about the true nature of the duo’s relationship. As more details emerged, the picture painted a less favorable portrait of the player-coach dynamic.

According to Sebastian Parfjanowicz of Przegląd Sportowy.Onet, Świątek and Wiktorowski primarily interacted during training sessions and even chose to stay in separate hotels. Now, Sidor has stated to Przegląd Sportowy.Onet that tensions between the two were evident from the start of the season. Sidor has previously coached Świątek during her junior years,

Sidor highlighted that Swiatek’s move to stand up for herself marked a significant turning point in her career. He stated, “We had the number 1 in the world who was starting to stand up to the coach. The first two years of cooperation with Wiktorowski were practically pure euphoria. It was going phenomenally. Matches were winning themselves.”

“However, this season some changes or crooked faces have already started. People who don’t know her don’t pay attention to it, and cracks in the image have started to appear. Up to a certain point, everything was fine. Later, some friction started,” Sidor further added.

Despite the start of a new chapter with coach Wim Fissette, speculation continues to swirl about Iga Swiatek’s relationship with her former coach, Tomasz Wiktorowski. However, Swiatek has dismissed these rumors, insisting that there is no ill-will between them. She explained to WP SportoweFakty, a Polish publication, “We are in touch, we even saw each other a few days ago. I feel that we have a lot of respect for each other and we wish each other well.”

Additionally, Wiktorowski addressed the allegations that surrounded his breakup with Iga Swiatek, saying he was annoyed by the untrue stories that have surfaced since their split. He added, “There has been a lot of speculation and insinuation… Definitely too much considering that the statement that was issued very precisely defines our decision. It is enough to read it with understanding, and not with the intention of looking for sensation.” Notably, just days back, Sidor had a different take on Iga’s split with her coach.

Sidor had stated that the hectic WTA schedule might have taken a toll on the coach, and he wanted to spend some time off. he had also noted that Iga had pointed out the same in her farewell post as she wrote, “I know that the coach wants to spend some time with his loved ones and rest after these intense years. Few people deserve at least a few months of vacation.” 

“I am able to get into Wiktorowski’s skin and he could really say at some point that he was heartily fed up. Because it is a terribly monotonous regime. It is the courts, the hotel, the hotel, the courts… It only seems to people that this is a beautiful life,” Sidor had stated in the Eurosport Podcast. He even drew parallels to Wiktorowski’s previous coaching stint with Polish sensation and former world No. 2 Agnieszka Radwańska from 2011 to 2018.

“The coach is under a lot of stress. I think it’s obvious to everyone. When he started working with Radwańska, Wiktorowski was brunette, when he finished, he was grizzled. When he started with Świątek, he was grizzled, and when he finished, he’s as grey as a dove. This is also proof that this is a job that really strains your nerves,” Sidor had said. Looks like the change in the coaching regime of the Raszyn player is the hottest topic of the tennis landscape this season. Look at the wave of speculations that has hit the camp since the announcement.

There were widespread rumors that Iga’s psychologist Daria Abramowicz has an influence behind the coaching change. Iga’s camp remained silent on the allegations. If that was not enough, then there was one more round of speculation that Iga’s longtime sparring partner Tomasz Moczek has left the camp. Her manager has to come forward to deny the claims. Expectations were that all these will put to rest after the coaching saga is sorted.

However, even now, she is surrounded by questions here and there. As Swiatek’s new partnership with coach Wim Fissette takes center stage, tennis legend Andy Roddick has weighed in with his trademark candidness, raising “big macro questions” about the road ahead.

Andy Roddick has questions for Iga Swiatek’s new coach 

Andy Roddick discussed his thoughts on Wim Fissette’s hiring as Iga Swiatek’s new coach in the October 22 episode of the Served podcast. Roddick highlighted the challenging learning curve, saying, “It’s a good point on the new coach coming into it… Maybe it’s tougher because the player you’re dealing with is currently number one and has been the best player in tennis for the last four years, at scale. But going into a very established team that has had a lot of success, right?” 

Roddick further emphasized the difficulty of stepping into a coaching role mid-season, especially with a player as meticulous and talented as Iga Swiatek. “…The top of the mountain wedging yourself in there. Do you want to make a bunch of changes? Are you trying things out for the rest of the year? Are you? These are all these big macro questions is the fit? Have they already signed a deal for two years? Is this a thing they’re going to try through the rest? There’s a lot of this stuff that we don’t totally know yet,” he further added.

The WTA Finals (in Riyadh from November 2 to 9), where Swiatek will participate under the tutelage of her new coach, Wim Fissette, will be her next test. Iga will defend the title she won last year in Cancun, Mexico.

Notably, in the months leading up to the event, Iga has pulled out of a number of events, starting from Korea Open to Wuhan Open, citing fatigue. In those, she missed some much-needed match practice before the coveted WTA Finals. As Iga and Fissette navigate this high-stakes competition against the world’s best, all eyes will be on the pair to test their developing partnership. Fans eagerly anticipate how this new dynamic will unfold in one of the biggest stages in women’s tennis.