{"id":138493,"date":"2025-09-12T20:16:07","date_gmt":"2025-09-12T20:16:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/138493\/"},"modified":"2025-09-12T20:16:07","modified_gmt":"2025-09-12T20:16:07","slug":"iga-swiateks-coach-warns-of-rising-abuse-in-female-tennis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/138493\/","title":{"rendered":"Iga Swiatek’s coach warns of rising abuse in female tennis"},"content":{"rendered":"

For Wim Fissette, Iga Swiatek<\/a>\u2019s coach since 2023, the 2025 season has been a lesson in both triumph and resilience. Speaking in a recent interview, the Belgian coach outlined how working with the world No. 1 has challenged him as much as it has rewarded him. \u201cShe\u2019s such a versatile player,\u201d Fissette explained.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve seen how she can succeed no matter where the tournament is, on any surface, with different balls. Everywhere she has chances. I know now how to approach her training, what she needs to reach the highest level, and how I can be the best possible coach for her.\u201d<\/p>\n

That versatility was on display during Swiatek\u2019s most celebrated moment of the year: her first Wimbledon title. The victory was not just historic for Polish tennis but also symbolic for a player long criticized for struggling on grass. She defeated Amanda Anisimova in straight sets, breaking through the barrier that had kept her from the most prestigious slam in the sport.<\/p>\n

Fissette admitted the moment was more than a trophy \u2014 it was validation of months of adapting training methods and strategy. \u201cWinning Wimbledon was huge because it showed the world this team was building something, enriching her tennis. She even said after Cincinnati she was shocked to play so well on grass and the fastest hard courts. As a team, we found the way.\u201d<\/p>\n

The momentum carried into August, when Swiatek clinched the Cincinnati title. On some of the tour\u2019s quickest courts, she demonstrated a willingness to innovate \u2014 using more slices, drop shots, and variety in her second serve to keep opponents guessing. Yet, just when the narrative seemed set for domination across surfaces, the US Open<\/a> delivered a twist. Once again facing Anisimova, Swiatek fell in the quarterfinals. It was a painful reminder of how quickly fortunes can change at the highest level.<\/p>\n

Fissette, however, sees these contrasts as part of the natural evolution of a champion. \u201cAs a tennis player, you can\u2019t become predictable,\u201d he said. \u201cYou must develop, otherwise rivals adapt to your game and know what to expect. Everyone at the top is searching for ways to grow. If you want to stay there, you have to add something new every year.\u201d Anisimova\u2019s revenge in New York only sharpened the point: standing still, even after a Wimbledon triumph, is not an option.<\/p>\n

Tactical growth and strategic patience<\/p>\n

Swiatek\u2019s tactical shifts have been key to her development in 2025. Fissette highlighted her new positioning on returns, standing further back to extend rallies and maximize her heavy topspin. \u201cShe\u2019s also more effective at handling those fast, on-the-run forehands,\u201d he explained. \u201cThat builds confidence against opponents who hit very hard.\u201d<\/p>\n

While some observers see a more patient Swiatek, her coach insists this patience is by design. \u201cStanding further back gives her more time. Being on the line means you also have to rush the next shot, which often makes you feel like you must overpower your opponent. The patience is coming from the strategy.\u201d<\/p>\n

The balance between embracing new strategies and trusting her instincts has not always been easy. Swiatek can be stubborn, Fissette admitted, but that trait is shared by most great champions. \u201cIt\u2019s natural that if you achieve success in a certain way, you want to stick to it,\u201d he said. \u201cSometimes you have to suffer a few defeats before opening up to new ideas. But once she believes in something and feels it works, she implements it quickly.\u201d<\/p>\n

The mental side of staying at the top<\/p>\n

Beyond tactics, Fissette is acutely aware of the psychological demands placed on players at the highest level. He recalled moments, like after Rome 2024, when Swiatek admitted to putting too much pressure on herself and trying to replicate previous success instead of focusing on development. \u201cI told her: be open to new ideas, because in sport there isn\u2019t just one way. You can\u2019t rely on copy-paste solutions.\u201d That mindset proved vital in helping her rebound to win Wimbledon and Cincinnati.<\/p>\n

But the mental challenges don\u2019t only come from inside the locker room. Tennis, Fissette warns, is an environment where players are increasingly vulnerable to outside pressures. \u201cThe WTA is doing a lot to protect players,\u201d he said. \u201cThe bigger problem is social media, where players face abuse. Both the WTA and ATP are trying to find solutions to protect athletes as much as possible. They\u2019re doing a lot of good work in this area, but it won\u2019t be solved immediately and we can\u2019t eliminate every threat overnight.\u201d His comments reflect a broader concern across the sport, where stars like Swiatek, Emma Raducanu, and Katie Boulter have all spoken about the emotional toll of online harassment.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"For Wim Fissette, Iga Swiatek\u2019s coach since 2023, the 2025 season has been a lesson in both triumph…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":138494,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[565],"tags":[64,63,85,747],"class_list":{"0":"post-138493","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-tennis","8":"tag-au","9":"tag-australia","10":"tag-sports","11":"tag-tennis"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/138493","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=138493"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/138493\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/138494"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=138493"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=138493"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=138493"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}