Swiatek Isn't Worried About Positions, Focuses on Long-Term Growth as Fissette Era Begins
Posted by Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Friday, November 1, 2024
Image Source: Matthew Calvin
As he steps up to play for the first time since this year's US Open, things will be very different Iga Swiatek. Gone in his coaching box is Tomasz Wiktorowski, the man who helped guide him to four of his five major titles. In is Wim Fissetteanother supercoach with a highly respected pedigree.
Speaking to reporters ahead of this year's WTA Finals in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Swiatek says we shouldn't expect too much of a change – his decision was made with long-term growth in mind.
“I spent this time playing tennis and focusing on finding a new coach,” he said between today and the end of his US Open, where he lost to Jessica Pegula in the quarterfinals. “Making this change is always tricky. For me it is a decision with the hope of years because I am looking at the nature of my long-term career.”
What kind of things does the five-time Grand Slam champion and former World No.1 hope to learn from Fissette?
“I think it's obvious,” he said. “I definitely want to improve my career, as I have been doing for years. I feel like I still need to continue that. I'm certainly not a perfect player. I think tactically there are a lot of ways I can go and have a lot of variety on the court. Wim has great ideas.”
Swiatek, who is 54-7 this season with five titles, says he's happy to take things slow. The real deep dive will take place in the pre-season leading up to the 2025 Australian Open.
“If we're telling the truth, we've been preparing for this tournament and getting to know each other,” he said. “Real changes, we will talk about them during the off-season because it is the right time to do them. At the moment I was trying to be in the best possible shape for this tournament. Some of the technical aspects, we will fix it in the pre-season.” The Hunt for No.1 a Non-Factor
The media loved the coverage of the No.1 ranked duel at the WTA Finals. They have this year as the Pole could regain No.1 from Sabalenka by making the title, but Swiatek says it's not important to him right now.
Do you know how many points he needs to regain the top spot from Sabalenka?
“I don't want to. I want to play the best kind of tennis. That's what I have to do,” he said, adding: “He's a great player. He also deserves to be number 1 in the world. I will definitely fight to be in that place.”
