Iga Swiatek’s coach, Wim Fissette, has responded strongly to the criticism directed at the world No. 2, particularly from Australian tennis player Nick Kyrgios, amidst the ongoing controversy surrounding Swiatek’s doping violation.
Swiatek, a five-time Grand Slam champion, recently completed a one-month suspension after testing positive for TMZ ahead of the Cincinnati Open in August 2024. The 23-year-old player was cleared of significant fault after providing evidence that her melatonin medication had been contaminated before use.
The reaction to Swiatek’s case has been mixed, with some, including Kyrgios, openly criticizing her. The Australian, known for his blunt opinions, was quick to accuse Swiatek and Jannik Sinner of attempting to portray themselves as victims in their respective doping cases.
On the Nothing Major podcast, Kyrgios said, “Once you get caught, you can’t act like the victim. It’s nothing personal. What do I have that’s personal against Iga Swiatek? I have nothing personal against Iga. Everybody should be able to play on an equal footing. I repeat, once you get caught, you can’t act like the victim anymore. That’s what pisses me off even more. I’m like: ‘Wait a second… you’re using your team, right?’”
Despite this backlash, Fissette, who has worked with top players like Kim Clijsters and Angelique Kerber, has come to Swiatek’s defense. Speaking to Onet, he expressed that anyone who took the time to examine all the details of Swiatek’s case would understand that she was a victim of unfortunate circumstances.
“There will always be people who are negative,” Fissette acknowledged. “But I think that anyone who has read all the documents Iga has provided, and shown to the world, sees what happened and should understand that it was just bad luck. It can happen to any player. I think those who are being negative about the case should take a closer look at Iga’s report and ask themselves whether they’ve really read it.”
Swiatek’s situation saw her initially provisionally suspended for 22 days, but after a successful appeal, she was left with just eight days to serve of her ban. As a result, she will be able to resume her career as usual and is set to play a key role for Poland in the upcoming United Cup, which begins on December 27.
Despite the doping controversy, Swiatek had an outstanding 2024, securing five WTA titles, including her fifth Grand Slam victory at Roland Garros. However, her year ended with a loss of the world No. 1 ranking to Aryna Sabalenka, and she was unable to claim any additional titles after her Paris triumph.
Swiatek’s recent dip in form can be partly attributed to her absence from both the China Open and the Wuhan Open, where it was later revealed she had been serving her provisional suspension.
Following this setback, Swiatek teamed up with coach Wim Fissette. Their collaboration began after her suspension, with the pair having only worked together at high-profile events such as the WTA Finals and the Billie Jean King Cup Finals prior to their partnership.