Fissette points out what Swiatek's goals will be in 2025

The tennis world was petrified to learn about the breakup between Iga Swiatek and Tomasz Wiktorowski, the man with whom she won four out of her five Grand Slams. Who would be the new coach for the Polish player? Just a few weeks later, we had the answer: Wim Fissette. The Belgian, a veteran in the coaching world, quickly accepted this new project, one that can only turn out well. In a recent conversation with Eurosport, the coach put into perspective the mid-term goals he sets with the World No.1, a tennis player who is already in the top global elite but still has room for improvement.

"I am eager to experience the clay court season with her, to live those tournaments with Iga on a daily basis, especially Roland Garros," Fissette begins to comment, who stopped working with Naomi Osaka earlier this season. "It is clear that I will learn a lot from her, see how she experiences the clay and what makes it so special. It is important to discover that process and the mindset with which she faces this part of the tour. Of course, what we desire is for Iga to remain the queen on this surface," he says with excitement and a sense of responsibility not to change what already works.

"The main goal will be this, as everyone wants to see Iga reigning on the clay, the fans place her as the queen of this surface. Obviously, having success in the other Grand Slams is also a fundamental objective, perhaps achieving a higher level of comfort on faster surfaces. However, it is not easy to be successful on clay, play so many matches in a few weeks, and then make that transition to grass. It is necessary to feel comfortable on grass, trust your game plan and movement. We will try different methods until we find success there," adds Wim, possibly the hands that have molded the most talent in the last five decades.

AIMING FOR THE NEXT LEVEL

It is curious that the Belgian has won three out of four Grand Slams in his coaching career. Which one is missing? Exactly, Roland Garros. The one that Swiatek has best mastered in recent years could take a back seat to ensure that Iga faces the rest of the surfaces with the same confidence and security she feels every time she steps on clay. His experiences with Clijsters, Kerber, or Osaka herself recently will surely help him travel that path to success again. What will be the key factors?

"I am a coach who always thinks long term; I am aware that tennis is always evolving. Everyone improves every year, finding ways to get better, even the World No.1 needs to keep looking for areas to improve. I have trained against Iga several times and have my own view, but to have a clearer picture of where we need to go, I need to get to know her better and spend some time with her on the court," points out the 44-year-old coach.

"When something works, it has to keep going but evolving without stopping; that is the key," summarizes Fissette, who will start this new adventure in the upcoming WTA Finals in Riyadh. "Iga has had a lot of influence with her movement on the court; there has never been another player who has moved better. It has been very special to see her compete over the last two years. We need to spend more time together, see how things progress, and see how she evolves with herself. We will set some clear goals; currently, I work with a lot of data, so I need to analyze it. This will make it much easier to see the areas where we need to improve," concludes the Belgian.

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Fissette señala cuáles serán los objetivos de Swiatek en 2025