"This is a very harsh": Iga Swiatek defends coaching staff ahead of Rome Open despite recent setbacks

World number two Iga Swiatek has defended her coaching staff after some disappointing performances in the recent past. The 23-year-old, who is already regarded as one of the best players currently playing in men’s tennis in the singles category, is going through a rough patch according to her high standards.

Swiatek, most recently, suffered a heartbreaking defeat in the semifinal of the Madrid Open to America’s Coco Gauff in straight sets with a score of 6-1, 6-1. The defeat was a hard one for Swiatek, who has not won a title since lifting the French Open in 2024. This year, she has not even managed to cement a spot in the final of any event despite featuring in seven of them. Interestingly, she appeared in the quarterfinals of every competition and even played in the semifinal on four occasions, but in every one of them, she came second-best.

Swiatek, who is now set to feature in the WTA 1000 event, the Rome Open, was asked by reporters whether her coaching staff, including the likes of Wim Fissette and sports psychologist Daria Abramowicz, were responsible for it. In response to that, the former world number one stated that it would be wrong to blame those two individuals. Swiatek was of the opinion that her recent struggles are due to the fact that her opponents are now aware of her weaknesses.

"No, this is a very harsh and unfair statement," said Swiatek. "I can only look at the coach from my own perspective, which is the only right one for me, that is, what our work looks like every day. The worse results coincided with many other challenges in recent months, also in family life. I found myself at a stage of my career where I had to reformulate my thinking about myself. The level of tennis in the world is getting higher and higher. The girls got to know my game, they developed themselves. People don't know it, but practically every year there are different challenges. When I was suspended, I didn't want to go out on the court at all for a few weeks. It was the most difficult experience of my career. Daria is a constant support for me, a person I trust. This is my team, I decide who is in it. I am irritated by headlines talking about falling apart or a mental crisis. Of course, sometimes I get annoyed on the court. Sometimes I'm not as focused as I'd like. But I work, day in and day out, week in and week out, to be better. So there is no reason to make strange judgements or look for fatigue or burnout."