The year 2022 begins with the WTA 500 tournament in Adelaide. On the night from Monday to Tuesday Polish time (at 3:30) he will play with Daria Saville. Iga is seeded with number five and defends the title she won in February. Then he led her.
In December, after more than five years of cooperation, ¦wi ± tek decided to leave the coach. A few days later, it was announced that Tomasz Wiktorowski was becoming her temporary trainer. Under his leadership, for several years she was one of the best tennis players in the world. Together they arrived, incl. to the Wimbledon final and won the Masters tournament. We ask the trainer what he wants to achieve with Iga. And above all, how much time does he have for it.
Trainer still temporary?
– A trip to Australia is included in the concept of temporary – says Wiktorowski when we try to find out if he has become Iga’s permanent coach before leaving the temporary trainer.
We hear, however, that people who help Swiatek’s career are not looking for a new coach for her. And the tennis player herself said in Adelaide at a press conference that working with Wiktorowski is the best option for her so far.
– I think that in a year or two I will be ready to cooperate with a foreign coach. Now I wanted to work with someone from Poland who understands my situation and speaks the same language. I am very happy that Tomasz was free – explained Świątek.
“Iga Świątek has spectacular tennis”
Wiktorowski is also happy with such a challenge. As a TV expert and commentator, he was impressed by Iga Świątek’s tennis. “She has spectacular tennis to her.”
– I think that the word “spectacular” describes Iga’s abilities well – the coach tells us now. And after three weeks of training with Iga, she adds: “I have watched most of her games for the last two years. I cannot say that I was surprised by anything plus or minus, but I am very impressed with the dynamics that characterize Iga’s tennis. From the perspective of the screen, no you can see this item so well. “
“There are no dreams, there are only realistic goals. Win”
Speaking about the possibilities of his new player, Wiktorowski does not play with diplomacy, which coaches often resort to. When asked if he dreamed of Iga’s victories now, in Australia, during their first trip together, he replies: “I think that working with a tennis player like Iga has no dreams, only real goals. We always go to the tournament to win it. Will it succeed? I don’t know, but we’ll do everything we can to make it happen. “
The trainer admits that leading Iga is an honor and a big challenge, and at the same time a lot of pressure. When it was announced that Wiktorowski was the coach of Świątek, it was widely commented that Iga found the best specialist in Poland. And therefore, there were expectations that she would play even better than in the last, after all, successful season.
– The only pressure I feel is the pressure I put on myself. And when it comes to expectations, I am not surprised that they are huge. The success in Paris certainly aroused the appetite – comments Wiktorowski.
“Sometimes I make decisions alone”
For him and Iga, the first trip together is – as Iga stated – the time of building relationships. – Training in the pre-Christmas period in Warsaw, it was difficult to find time to talk about other topics than sports – says Wiktorowski. At that time, Świątek wrote in her social media that she only eats, sleeps and plays tennis. “Now, in Australia, we have a little more time to talk,” says the coach.
Wiktorowski joined the staff, the head of which until recently was Sierzputowski. Together with him, Maciej Ryszczuk, a trainer of physical preparation and a psychologist, takes care of the tennis player’s form.
How does Wiktorowski fit in with the Świątek team? Is he rather a strong boss or a work partner for everyone? – In this job you have to be able to work in different styles. Sometimes there is room for making decisions together, and sometimes I make them one-on-one. It doesn’t matter who I work with – the coach replies.
“There is no point in comparing”
Wiktorowski realizes that he will often be asked to mention with whom and how he worked. Iga Świątek has been compared with Agnieszka Radwańska many times. It’s natural, because even though the tennis players are completely different, Iga made a strong reference to Agnieszka’s success at the beginning of her career.
– Agnieszka first of all forced mistakes and added a number of points won directly. Iga is a player who forces to defend, wins a lot of points by herself, has great proportions between winners and unforced mistakes, which shows how aggressive her tennis is. That is why you cannot compare these girls – Wiktorowski once explained to us.
And now she says: “I think it makes no sense to compare two tennis players with different physical conditions, playing in completely different styles, competing with other opponents. They probably have the most similar names: Iga and Aga”.
Cezary Kulesza as a guest of Sport.pl LIVE. Confirms two names:
Source: Sport
Tristin is an accomplished author and journalist, known for his in-depth and engaging writing on sports. He currently works as a writer at 247 News Agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the sports industry.
