Iga Swiatek will feel she has a big point to prove at the WTA Finals after losing her number one spot to Aryna Sabalenka.
Sabalenka overtook Swiatek as WTA number one just before the year-end event in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, which is now underway.
Swiatek missed out on plenty of action before the WTA Finals, with the Pole also splitting with coach Tomasz Wiktorowski.
She has replaced him with Wim Fissette, who had only recently split with fellow multiple Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka.
Fissette thinks he will learn a lot from Swiatek, with the pair undoubtedly keen on immediately hitting the ground running together.
What Iga Swiatek wants to improve under Wim Fissette
Swiatek is in the Orange Group at the WTA Finals, joined by Coco Gauff, Jessica Pegula and Barbora Krejcikova.
Having been asked what she is trying to change by working with Fissette, Swiatek said in her opening press conference in Riyadh: “If I’m going to answer that, then everybody is going to know what is my weaker side.
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“No, I mean, I think it’s kind of obvious. I for sure want to improve my serve, as I’ve been doing for past years. I feel like I still need to continue that. For sure I’m not a complete player.
“I think tactically there are many ways I could go and have more variety on court. Wim has some nice ideas. Honestly for now we’ve just been preparing for this tournament and getting to know each other.
“The real changes, we’re going to talk about them during the off-season because that’s the proper time to do it. For now I’ve been trying to just be in the best shape for this tournament. Some technicalities, we’re going to work on them in the pre-season.”
Can Iga Swiatek add to her five Grand Slam titles under Wim Fissette?
It is an important stage of Swiatek’s career, with the Pole having clearly felt something wasn’t right under Wiktorowski.
But as she has alluded to, the off-season is undoubtedly the time where she and Fissette can really get going.
READ MORE: Aryna Sabalenka states the ‘ideal’ scenario in her year-end world number one fight with Iga Swiatek
For now, it is all about producing her best tennis at the WTA Finals, where she will be eyeing to enact revenge on new world number one Sabalenka.
But the duo have been kept apart for the time being, with Swiatek firstly taking on Krejcikova before back-to-back meetings with Americans in Gauff and Pegula.
Swiatek already boasts five Grand Slam titles aged just 23, but she will be eager to extend that tally under the guidance of Fissette at the first opportunity in 2025.
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