PARIS — World No. 1 Iga Swiatek confirmed the hiring of Wim Fissette as her new tennis coach.
Swiatek parted ways with long-term coach Tomasz Wiktorowski two weeks ago.
Fissette coached former top-ranked players Naomi Osaka, Kim Clijsters and Angelique Kerber to a combined six Grand Slam titles and also has worked with Simona Halep and Victoria Azarenka.
“I’m happy to announce that Wim Fissette is joining our team,” the Polish tennis player said on social media platform X.
“As you know, I’m preparing for the WTA Finals but my perspective is, as always, long-term, not short-term. I said many times that my career is a marathon for me, not a sprint and I’m working, operating and making decisions with this approach.
“I want to say that I’m very excited and looking forward to working with Wim,” Swiatek posted on social media.
“He seems to have a great attitude, vision and huge experience at a very top level of tennis.
“It’s always crucial to try and get to know each other better but we’re off to a good start and I can’t wait to compete soon,” Swiatek added according to Reuters.
Fissette, 44, of Belgium, recently split with Osaka, who later hired Serena Williams’ former coach Patrick Mouratoglou.
He said he was thrilled to join Swiatek, the 23-year-old Polish star who collected her fifth Grand Slam singles title at the 2024 French Open.
“She’s been a role model to many players with the intensity and focus she brings to work, so I’m eager to partner as we both continue to build our best selves and chase more dreams,” Fissette said.
Swiatek has not played since losing to Jessica Pegula in the quarterfinals of the US Open on Sept. 4, citing physical and mental exhaustion.
She is scheduled to participate in the WTA Finals, which begins on Nov. 2 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Belinda Bencic, meanwhile, is set to return to competitive play at the end of October following maternity leave, marking her first action since the Cymbiotika San Diego Open last September.
The 27-year-old Swiss player will participate in the ITF W75 Hamburg event on Oct. 28, providing an opportunity to “test her level” ahead of Switzerland’s Billie Jean King Cup tie against Serbia in mid-November.
Bencic, who welcomed her first child, Bella, in April, is looking forward to her comeback.
“I’m extremely excited to compete in Hamburg and very grateful for the wild card,” she said. “The timing of my comeback fits very well. My goal for this year is the Billie Jean King Cup in November [in Biel], and I’m happy to test my level at the Hamburg tournament beforehand.”
A former World No. 4, Bencic boasts notable achievements, including winning Olympic singles gold and doubles silver at Tokyo in 2020. She was a semifinalist at the 2019 US Open, and also played a crucial role in leading Switzerland to its first Billie Jean King Cup title two years later.
In September 2023, Bencic took maternity leave at a career-high point, after reaching the fourth round at three of the four Grand Slams in a calendar year for the first time. But returning to the tour will pose challenges, particularly as she navigates life as a new mother.
“I’m not yet at the absolute peak of my tennis and fitness level, but I feel really good and ready to compete,” Bencic said according to.wtatennis.com.
“I want to test myself in a competitive setting to see what we need to work on to start the next season in top form. We also want to see how we can logistically manage everyday life at the tournament with Bella.”
Along with her eight singles titles on the Hologic WTA Tour, Bencic has won five ITF titles, including her last appearance at an $80,000 event in Las Vegas in November 2018.
Tommy Paul, meanwhile, won his career-best 42nd singles match on tour this season, as the fourth seed defeated Laslo Djere 6-2, 7-6 (2) at the BNP Paribas Nordic Open in Stockholm.
Paul, who won this event in 2021, recorded seven aces and 27 winners and forced Serbia’s Djere to save nine of 12 break points as the American advanced to the quarterfinals.
Second-seeded Casper Ruud, who hadn’t played in this tournament since 2019, became the first Norwegian to win a match in Stockholm by defeating Italy’s Lorenzo Sonego 6-3, 7-6 (3).
Ruud will face seventh-seeded Tallon Griekspoor of the Netherlands, who downed British qualifier Jacob Fearnley 7-6 (0), 6-3.
Stan Wawrinka of Switzerland posted a 6-4, 6-4 victory over No. 6 seed Brandon Nakashima. Switzerland’s Dominic Stricker won his second-round match over Italy’s Matteo Berrettini 7-6 (6), 6-4,
Top seed Alex de Minaur rallied from an opening-set loss to defeat Spain’s Roberto Carballes Baena 2-6, 6-4, 6-2 and advance to the quarter-finals in Antwerp, Belgium.
The Australian has not played since the US Open quarter-finals because of a hip injury. He recorded 24 winners to help compensate for 31 unforced errors.
His next opponent is France’s Hugo Gaston, who won a two-hour, 50-minute battle with Argentina’s seventh-seeded Mariano Navone 6-4, 6-7 (3), 7-6 (4).
Spain’s Roberto Bautista Agut ousted Argentina’s Tomas Martin Etcheverry, the sixth seed, 7-6 (2), 6-4 to become at age 36 the oldest quarterfinalist in the event’s history.
Third-seeded Felix Auger-Aliassime of Canada responded to a slow start in a 6-7 (4), 6-4, 6-2 victory over Marton Fucsovics of Hungary.
Fourth-seeded Francisco Cerundolo ended German wild-card Justin Engel’s historic run with a 6-4, 7-6 (3) victory and moved on to the quarter-finals in Kazakhstan.
Engel, 17, had defeated Coleman Wong on Monday to become the first player born in 2007 or later to win an ATP Tour match.
Argentina’s Cerundolo, who has 30 tour-level wins this year after 39 in 2023, benefited from Engel’s 35 unforced errors, to 24 for the victor.
Also in the second round, second-seeded Alejandro Tabilo of Chile won in straight sets over Maximilian Marterer of Germany 6-2, 6-4; Canada’s Gabriel Diallo knocked off Croatia’s Borna Coric 7-6 (1), 6-4; and Kazakhstan’s Alexander Shevchenko eliminated Russian qualifier Aslan Karatsev 6-1, 6-7 (5), 7-5.
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