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Iga Swiatek's Coach Reveals What They're Trying to Improve

Originally posted on Serve on SI | By Pat Benson | Last updated Feb 27, 2026 3:12 PM ET

WTA world No. 2 Iga Swiatek has taken a very conservative approach to the start of the new year. Swiatek has played in just three tournaments and has a singles record of 9-4.

After losing a hard-fought, three-setter to Maria Sakkari in the quarterfinal of the Qatar Open, Swiatek withdrew from the Dubai Tennis Championships. Swiatek — and No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka's decision — to pull out of the Masters 1000 event did not go unnoticed by tournament organizers.

However, Swiatek is more focused on improving areas of her game early in the season. Her coach, Wim Fissette, recently revealed what they had been working on over the past few weeks in lieu of competing in the Dubai Masters.

"Our main goal was to improve our serve"

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"Technically, our main goal was to improve our serve," Fissette told TVPSPORT.PL. "Apart from that, we focused primarily on improving the tactical elements and the first shots after the serve and return. We worked on being more regular in key moments and maintaining the right intensity from the first ball."

Improving the consistency of Swiatek's service games makes sense. So far this year, Swiatek has tallied 44 aces and 25 double faults. She is averaging 62.4% on first serves, winning points on 65.7% and 49.8% of her first two serves, respectively. She has won just 59.7% of her all possible serve points.

Swiatek hired Fissette as her full-time head coach in October 2024. Since then, Swiatek's results on the court have varied. She slumped through the first half of 2025, before breaking out and winning her first Wimbledon title. That turned around her season, resulting in more consistent play down the second half of the campaign.

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Swiatek's coaching partnership with Fissette

In November 2025, Fissette revealed that breaking down a language barrier was his biggest lesson after one full year on the job. "I think that the most important thing is communication," said Fissette. "Previously, she had the opportunity to work only with coaches from Poland. Communication in Poland looks different than in English. The same words in Polish sometimes have a completely different meaning than in English."

Swiatek's next tournament will be the 2026 BNP Paribas Open at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden. The outdoor hard-court tournament is a Masters 1000 event on the ATP and WTA tours. The iconic event runs from March 4-15, 2026.

This article first appeared on Serve on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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