Iga Swiatek has seen her position as the top-ranked female tennis player in the world come under threat in recent weeks, with her continued absence coinciding with Aryna Sabalenka’s blistering form.
The Belarusian has enjoyed a fine winning run, winning the Cincinnati Masters before then claiming the coveted US Open title.
And, had she reached the final last week in Beijing, and there would have been a huge change at the top.
The youngster’s continued time out from tennis, which started ever since she exited from the US Open, has been brought about by a big decision.
Swiatek had split with her coach.
Reaction as Iga Swiatek splits with coach
Speaking to Eurosport, the pundit would not hold back in her assessment of Iga Swiatek‘s season.
After all, whilst the world number one has added another Grand Slam title to her trophy cabinet, Schett suggested that this is precisely the issue that she is suffering with: her one-dimensional nature.
The Austrian claimed: ‘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. 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.’
Iga Swiatek needs to become a more well-rounded threat
It’s clear to see that, whilst her dominance on clay is unparalleled and at times unstoppable, there is still so much for Swiatek to work on when it comes to the hard and particularly the grass courts.
After all, with the latter in particular, although it only takes up a tiny portion of the tour, it always marks a disappointing portion of the year.
The 23-year-old has just a 70% win rate on grass, the lowest of any surface, and has never surpassed the quarter-finals at Wimbledon.
And, even though she won the US Open in 2022, seldom remains a regular threat in New York or Melbourne.
It’s impressive to maintain her domination at Roland Garros, with four titles already to her name, but if she wants to assert her dominance over the rest of the field, perhaps this fresh set of eyes could be perfect to make her a multifaceted threat to all.
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