DISCOVER WHY IGA SWIATEK AND WIM FISSETTE ENDED THEIR WIMBLEDON-WINNING PARTNERSHIP
Iga Swiatek and coach Wim Fissette end their partnership following a shock Miami Open loss to Magda Linette in 2026.
Wim Fissette and Iga Swiatek have officially ended their coach-player partnership, and honestly, it sounds like both of them were hoping for even more out of their time together. After her early exit from the Miami Open, where Swiatek unexpectedly lost to fellow Pole Magda Linette and snapped her streak of 73 straight wins in tournament openers, she took to social media to make it clear she’s heading in a new direction.
Swiatek admitted it was a tough period full of important lessons and challenges. She thanked Fissette for his support, saying they had achieved a lot, including one of her biggest dreams in sport. The two began working together at the end of 2024, and during their partnership, Swiatek snagged three tournament wins, including a Wimbledon title last year. She wrapped up her post with a heartfelt thanks: “Wim, thank you for this time and the lessons I’ve learned thanks to you. I wish you all the best, both professionally and personally.”
Fissette responded, reflecting on their journey and recalling when he first met Swiatek at the 2018 Wimbledon Champions' dinner after she won the juniors. Seven years later, they won Wimbledon together. He said, “We both wanted and worked for more, but shared important moments and lessons. Iga, I now wish you good luck and success in what’s next. I’m sure you’ll have it.”
He also took a moment to thank Swiatek’s fans, especially the Polish community, for their support. Fissette has met many of them in person and appreciates the passion they bring to tennis. He hopes the sport continues to grow in Poland. Now, with his family by his side, he says he’s grateful for all the kind messages he’s received and is looking forward to whatever comes next.
With the Miami Open behind her, Swiatek’s focus now shifts to the clay court season, which is usually where she shines. Her first tournament on clay this year will be the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix, a title she’s already won back-to-back in 2022 and 2023.
EMMA RADUCANU DROPS TO NO. 29 AS VIRAL ILLNESS DELAYS COMPETITIVE TENNIS RETURN
Emma Raducanu falls to World No. 29. Discover her Madrid Open comeback plans and the viral illness that halted her WTA season.
Emma Raducanu has slipped further down the WTA rankings as she focuses on regaining her full fitness. At 23, she has faced several interruptions since her breakthrough win at the US Open in 2021.
While Raducanu stands out as a major title winner, having claimed her US Open victory after navigating the qualifiers, she reached her highest ranking at No. 10 less than a year later. Since then, she hasn’t added another singles title to her name, working instead on finding steadiness in her game. She’s aiming to kick off her clay-court season at the Madrid Open later this month. Yet, her ranking has dipped ahead of that event, partly because she withdrew from both the Miami Open and the Linz Open.
Currently listed at No. 29, down one spot from 28, Raducanu hasn’t gained ranking points recently due to recovering from a viral illness. Her last appearance was at Indian Wells in March, where she exited in the third round against Amanda Anisimova.
Her decision to miss Miami and Linz came after falling ill. Reports from BBC Sport noted that she started feeling unwell in February but kept competing until she pulled out of the Austrian tournament.
As Raducanu prepares for a potential comeback at Madrid, which kicks off on April 21, Romania’s Sorana Cirstea has moved ahead in the rankings. At 36, Cirstea climbed three places to 26th after reaching the quarter-finals in Linz.
Interestingly, Raducanu and Cirstea met earlier this year at the Transylvania Open final in Cirstea’s home country. Cirstea won decisively, 6-0, 6-2, though Raducanu admitted she wasn’t at her best even before the match started.
“In Cluj, I picked up a virus at the start of the tournament,” Raducanu shared with the Guardian in February. “I was dealing with that and its after-effects... which lasted for three weeks. I’ve been trying to shake it off. The Middle East trip was really tough for me.”
It seems Raducanu is keen to recover fully before stepping back onto the court. Looking back, Aryna Sabalenka took the 2023 Madrid Open title with a 6-3, 7-6 win over Coco Gauff in the final.
JANNIK SINNER TAKES WORLD NO. 1; ALCARAZ CAN RECLAIM LEAD IN BARCELONA
Jannik Sinner is World No. 1! Discover how Carlos Alcaraz can reclaim the top spot at the Barcelona Open this week.
Jannik Sinner’s win over Carlos Alcaraz at the Monte-Carlo Masters wasn't just a big match; it sent Sinner straight back to the world number one ranking. Now, the Italian leads Alcaraz by 440 points after his Monte-Carlo victory.
But the clay season is packed, and with so many tournaments coming up, there’s still plenty of room for the rankings to shift before Roland Garros rolls around.
Alcaraz doesn’t have to wait long for his shot to reclaim the top spot. His next chance comes right away at the Barcelona Open, his home tournament. Last year, Alcaraz made the final in Barcelona, and now he’s set to chase down Sinner again.
Honestly, their Monte-Carlo match didn’t quite live up to the hype. Blame the wind. It was a pretty scrappy three out of ten match, if we’re being honest. Not exactly the fireworks everyone expected.
Still, Sinner and Alcaraz will be only 160 points apart at the start of the Barcelona Open, really close. If Alcaraz wins in Barcelona, he actually jumps above Sinner in the rankings, but just barely. He’d have 13,410 points, Sinner would have 13,400. It’s that tight.
Plus, if the rumours are true and Sinner skips the Madrid Open, Alcaraz could hang onto the top spot pretty easily.
Even with the recent slip in the rankings, Alcaraz shouldn’t be discouraged. He knew Sinner had been playing out of his mind lately and probably expected the rankings to flip. Sinner outplayed him in Monte-Carlo and fully deserved that win.
But there’s a lot of tennis left this spring. Alcaraz is strong on clay and has more chances, especially in Madrid, to rack up points. Neither player competed in Madrid last year, so both have a great shot to stretch their leads.
With Alcaraz picking up extra points in Barcelona, Sinner might not stay number one for long. Expect this battle at the top to keep flipping back and forth; it’s far from over.
