Former world No. 7 Barbara Schett has admitted to being “really disappointed” with Iga Swiatek’s recent performances at Wimbledon and the US Open, with the pundit unsurprised that she has announced a change in direction.

Swiatek has spent over 120 weeks at the top of the WTA rankings but won just two Grand Slam titles in the past two years, both of them coming at the French Open. Roland Garros has been the venue for four of her five Major wins, the other coming at the US Open in 2022.

She has not reached a semi-final outside of Paris since that win at Flushing Meadows, prompting some concern about her ability to perform on a surface that isn’t clay.

Swiatek has taken measures to address those fears, however, splitting with coach Tomasz Wiktorowski after three years together and announcing plans to work with another expert who isn’t from Poland going forward.

There are encouraging signs for Swiatek, with Schett unsurprised that the 23-year-old is looking outside of her homeland for a new partner in crime.

“Iga Swiatek might be No. 1 in the world, [but] she still wants to develop her game outside of clay, [for example] on grass and hard,” Schett told Eurosport. “Let’s face it, it hasn’t really happened in the last year or two. She is looking for something different; an outside look, because at this level every percentage counts.

“I am not surprised she is searching for somebody from abroad and not from Poland. She needs a different pair of eyes and different stimulations. I was really disappointed with the way she played at Wimbledon and at the US Open, where she was so one-dimensional and could not adjust tactically.

“She was going for it but not really seeking solutions. She definitely can develop her game even more and learn when to pull back and when to go for it.”

Polish outlet TVP Sport claim that Swiatek is set to announce her sparring partner Tomasz Moczek as her interim coach, with the world No. 1 taking a break from tennis while she searches for a permanent coach.

“I am currently in initial talks with non-Polish coaches as I prepare to take the next step in my career. I’ll update you once I’ve made my choice,” she said in an Instagram post.

Swiatek has not competed on the Asian swing and her last on-court appearance was at the US Open, where she lost to home favourite Jessica Pegula. Her next match could be at the season-finale WTA Finals in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, which begin on November 2.