“Something is wrong here”—Iga Swiatek’s split with Tomasz Wiktorowski has drawn in several reactions from the tennis world. During their three-year partnership, Swiatek won four Grand Slam titles. Wiktorowski helped Iga Swiatek clinch 19 of her 22 career titles and also an Olympic bronze medal in Paris this year. So, there is plenty to cherish during his tenure, but what went wrong suddenly? Did Swiatek’s poor run on grass or hard courts play a role in this, or is there something else? Well, here’s the twist in the tale! According to many experts, Iga Swiatek’s psychologist, Daria Abramowicz, played a crucial role in the “expiration” of the relationship with the coach.
Previously, we saw Jan Tomaszewski stirring up a controversy by pointing fingers at the psychologist. Speaking about the influence of Abramowicz in this issue, Tomaszewski said, “I agree 100 percent; something is wrong here.” Now, the tennis commentator Tomasz Wolfke also smells something fishy in Iga Swiatek’s recent split with Tomasz Wiktorowski. Apart from winning the Grand Slam titles, Swiatek also won the 2023 WTA Finals with Wiktorowski. Now, with yet another WTA Finals (Riyadh) knocking at the door, this decision is like a bolt from the blue for some, but what does Wolfke have to say about the real boss in Swiatek’s team?
According to his recent interview with the Interia portal, “How much did Wiktorowski have to put his ears to the ground in this extremely unique situation, in which it is clearly visible that Daria Abramovich is the eminence grise of this team? I don’t recall another situation in sports when the psychologist was so visible. Of course, I don’t question the fact that this team is very professional because it is. However, it is headed by the player’s father, not a hired manager. The main role in it is played not by the coach but by the psychologist.”
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Daria Abramowicz’s name has popped up several times in the headlines over the last few days. After seeing Iga Swiatek‘s prolonged absence from the Tour, Artur Szostaczko said, “She (Abramowicz) should show her knowledge and skills.” We don’t know whether or not she played a pivotal role in Swiatek’s decision to split with Wiktorowski. However, with these statements, we can surely conclude that Abramowicz has a key function in Swiatek’s team.
What do other experts think about this split and their relationship? Well, according to BBC tennis correspondent Russell Fuller, this split “comes at a logical time.” Some experts have agreed on the fact that it’s the right time for the world number one to start working with a non-Polish coach. While an Insider report published in Sport.PL claimed that “There was no special chemistry between them.”
We have heard several opinions on this topic, but what did Iga Swiatek say on this bold call?
Iga Swiatek became the first Polish player to reach the world number one ranking during Wiktorowski’s tenure. She has achieved a lot within this period, and Swiatek acknowledges every effort that his ex-coach has put in over the last few years.
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In her short note on IG, Swiatek wrote, “After three years of the greatest achievements in my career, together with my coach Tomasz Wiktorowski, we decided to part ways. I want to start with a big thank you and appreciating our work together.“
She further added, “Coach Wiktorowski joined my team for three seasons when I strongly needed changes and a fresh approach to my game. His experience, analytical and strategic attitude, and enormous knowledge about tennis helped us to achieve things I’d never dreamed of only a few months after we started working together. Our main goal was to become the No. 1 player in the world, and coach Wiktorowski was the one who said it first.”
Talking about being number one and retaining the crown at the end of this year, Iga Swiatek’s crown is under some real threat now. Swiatek hasn’t competed since losing to Jessica Pegula in the US Open QF. Guess what? Aryna Sabalenka is breathing down her neck at the moment in the WTA Live Race Ranking.
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Shortly, after announcing her split with Wiktorowski, Swiatek also announced her withdrawal from the WTA 1000 event in Wuhan. The tournament is all set to commence on October 7 and will run till October 13. Although Iga Swiatek revealed that due to this important change in her time, she gave herself a couple of weeks to “start a cooperation with a new coach” (possibly a foreign coach), now the question is when will we see her back in action. What are your thoughts about her recent split with Tomasz Wiktorowski?
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