World No. 1 Iga Swiatek informed in an official statement on Thursday that Belgium's Wim Fissette became her new coach as she is preparing for the WTA Finals.

Iga Swiatek of Poland hits a return during the women's singles first round match between Iga Swiatek of Poland and Leolia Jeanjean of France at the French tennis tournament at Roland Garros in Paris, France, on May 27, 2024. (Xinhua/Gao Jing)

In early October, Swiatek parted ways with coach Tomasz Wiktorowski. She withdrew from the Wuhan Open, explaining that she was focused on making changes to her coaching staff. Swiatek had also missed tournaments in Seoul and Beijing. She last played in early September, when she lost to Jessica Pegula in the US Open quarterfinals.

"I'm looking forward to working with Wim. I think his approach, vision are very good, and his additional asset is the vast experience at the highest level in tennis. Of course, it's always important to get to know each other better, but we have a very good start of our cooperation. I can't wait to get back to competing," 23-year-old Swiatek said in the statement.

"I'm currently preparing for the WTA Finals, but my perspective on my career was always long-term. I have mentioned many times that it's a marathon for me, not a sprint. I work and make decisions with this thinking in mind," she added.

Fissette has previously worked with Angelique Kerber and several other elite players. The German won Wimbledon under his guidance in 2018. The 44-year-old also helped develop the career of Naomi Osaka, who won the US Open in 2020 and the Australian Open in 2021.

"I'm very excited to work with Iga and join her team. She is a role model for many female players thanks to the constant intensity with which she plays and the focus on work. I hope we will both improve and strive to fulfill our sports dreams," said Fissette. 

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