Danielle Collins gave her first reaction to World No. 2 Iga Swiatek’s announcement of parting ways with coach Wim Fissette after a poor run in the Sunshine Swing. Collins’ comments came during the live reaction segment of a Tennis Channel show, airing from Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, FL.
Swiatek’s startling announcement came soon after her shocking opening-round exit at the Miami Open against fellow Pole Magda Linette last week. In her rundown of the coaching split, Collins stated that at some point, a player has to point the finger somewhere for the disappointing performances in a season.
“Well, I think at this point, with the results that she’s had, it makes sense trying to switch things up and looking to go into a different direction. I think it’s to be expected. There’s no player that works with the same coach really like throughout their entire career. You learn by working with other people, and you get different perspectives,” Collins said.
“If you just work with one person your whole life, like you’re not gonna get the same type of evolvement. So I think it’s smart on her end… Well, an individual sport, right? It’s tough. You’re out there during the matches. You can’t really receive any coaching. And at the end of the day, you gotta point the finger somewhere, right?” she added.
Previously, Swiatek endured a disappointing quarterfinal exit against Elina Svitolina in the Indian Wells Masters, thereby continuing her trophyless run this year.
Iga Swiatek Asserts Taking A ‘Different Path’ After Announcing Coaching Split
Iga Swiatek made the heartbreaking announcement of splitting with coach Fissette on social media. In her post, the Pole thanked her coach for the sweet memories they shared while she won a Grand Slam, but at the same time asserted that she had now decided to take a different path in life, on account of a rough start this season.
“Sometimes life and sport bring moments like this… Miami was challenging for me. I feel disappointment, bitterness, and responsibility for my performance on the court, of course. I’ve also learned a lot of important lessons, and I think that’s very human,” Swiatek wrote.
“That being said, after many months of working together with my coach, Wim Fissette, I’ve decided to take a different path. It was an intense time full of challenges and many important experiences. I’m grateful for his support, experience, and everything we achieved together – including one of my biggest dreams in sport,” she further added.
The Pole concluded her statement by noting that the rest of her team remained unchanged, as she will now aim to regroup and make an impact in the upcoming claycourt swing, starting at Stuttgart.
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