A dip in form cost Iga Swiatek crucial wins, and her coach his job. The decision was made public after the Pole’s second-round defeat at the Miami Open against compatriot Magda Linette. Though Wim Fissette guided her to three singles titles during their 17-month partnership, including the Wimbledon crown last year, it no longer seemed enough. And while Swiatek had addressed the split previously, it is now Fissette who is sharing his side of the story.
“There are some teams that can stay really calm under, let’s say, difficult conditions. Others feel like something needs to change. As in every sport, it’s always first the coach that has to go. At the highest level in sports, this is part of the job. You have to accept that,” he said in an interview with The Athletic.
Fissette said that from the moment he joined team Swiatek in the fall of 2024, he knew that coaching Swiatek would be one of the toughest tasks of his career, as the expectations would always be incredibly high.
“They were almost unbeatable for a few years. The expectations are going to be super high. Every loss will hurt extra. I was aware of the difficulties in this project. It was impossible to do better. But I was still really happy that I took the challenge, and happy with what we achieved. Iga is such an extraordinary player and athlete,” he added.
Notably, the 46-year-old was the only member of her team not from Poland. He had to coach the tennis star in English, which was likely a second language for both of them. In a tight-knit, mostly Polish performance team that included her psychologist and near-constant travel companion, Daria Abramowicz, and her physiotherapist, Maciej Ryszczuk, Fissette arrived as a natural outsider.
“Every word I say is new to her,” he said. “Out of respect for Iga, I don’t want to go deep into that.”
The 24-year-old’s results had started to deteriorate since the 2025 WTA Finals, where she was knocked out in the group stage. Her 2026 season began on a disappointing note as she faced a quarterfinal defeat in the Australian Open to eventual champion Elena Rybakina.
Things didn’t get better for Swiatek at the Qatar and Indian Wells Open either, as she failed to make it past the last 8 in both tournaments. The former World No. 1 wasn’t expected to produce these types of results, and soon fingers started being pointed at Fissette. Hence, the shocking defeat in the Miami Open proved to be his final match as Swiatek’s coach.
As the split was announced just days before the clay swing, the World No. 4 knew that she had to make her choice quickly, or else she would have to go into the season without a coach. Though multiple names were linked to the job, the Pole eventually decided to go for a renowned coach, who had spent 17 years in Rafael Nadal’s team (2005-2022) and had achieved a monumental level of success with him.
Iga Swiatek appoints Francisco Roig as her new coach
Francisco Roig has joined Swiatek as her new full-time coach ahead of the clay-court season. The Spaniard has the potential to be a great pick for her, as he is widely regarded for his deep knowledge of clay-court patterns and helped Rafael Nadal win 14 French Open titles as his backup coach.
Swiatek has been dominant on clay over the years and has won 10 titles on the surface so far, including four Roland Garros triumphs. The Pole will be hoping for a strong season under the Spaniard’s guidance and is already clear about what she wants to improve in her game.
“That was my advantage–I put pressure on the court, and it gave me an advantage. I feel that tennis gives me the most pleasure when I’m solid. When this is not the case, I take unnecessary risks and make many more mistakes. I want to get back to solidity,” she said during a conversation with Sport.pl interviewer Radosław Leniarski.
After concluding her hard-court season on a dismal note, she is likely to commence her clay swing with the Stuttgart Open. The WTA 500 event will be held from April 13 to 19.
Will Swiatek be able to achieve instant success under Roig, or will her dismal form carry over to the clay courts as well? Let us know what you think in the comments!
