"I was confident Iga Swiatek's innocent"- Pole's new coach Wim Fissette breaks silence on doping row, confirms he was informed about the failed test

Iga Swiatek’s new coach, Wim Fissette, has broken his silence after the Pole’s doping test controversy from August came to light on November 28. The Belgian coach revealed why he decided to team up with the player amid her investigation.

Swiatek tested positive for low traces of a banned substance called “trimetazidine” (TMZ) in an out-of-competition test conducted before the Cincinnati Open (August 12). The former World No. 1 was handed a provisional suspension on September 12, which she successfully appealed on September 22.

On October 4, the provisional suspension was lifted, according to the International Tennis Integrity Agency’s statement from November 28.

The same day (October 4), Swiatek announced that she had parted ways with her coach of three years, Tomasz Wiktorowski. Just days later, she confirmed her new collaboration with Wim Fissette, who coached Naomi Osaka until September 2024.

The renowned coach has now addressed Iga Swiatek’s doping test controversy, revealing that he was informed about the case before they finalized their partnership. He also expressed his trust in the five-time Grand Slam champion.

"Trust is a foundation of good relationships in our team from the very beginning," Fissette recently told The National. "(Iga Swiatek) told me about the case and left me the decision about our cooperation."

On November 28, the ITIA handed Swiatek a one-month suspension and passed a “no significant fault or negligence verdict” after it was established that the player’s positive test was the result of her ingesting TMZ-contaminated melatonin pills, which she uses to regulate her sleep.

Fissette said that Iga Swiatek’s work ethic and values were enough for him to be confident in her innocence. The positive tests, thus, did not influence his decision to go ahead with their collaboration.

"I have been observing her for a long time, her values, her work ethic, her standards. I was confident that she is innocent from the start, so it did not influence my decision about joining the team," he said.

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Iga Swiatek's coach Wim Fissette: "It was an extremely stressful and difficult situation"

Iga Swiatek pictured with Wim Fissette at the 2024 WTA Finals - Image Source: Getty

Considering Iga Swiatek was dealing with the ordeal privately for the past couple of months until it was finally made public on Thursday, the situation was “extremely stressful,” according to Wim Fissette.

"It was an extremely stressful and difficult situation for Iga and for the whole team," Fissette said during the aforementioned interview.

Swiatek missed the Korea Open, the China Open, and the Wuhan Open due to her provisional suspension, but was able to compete at the 2024 WTA Finals and the Billie Jean King Cup in November after her provisional suspension was lifted.

The WTA Finals marked her and Fissette’s first collaboration. The 23-year-old, who was the defending champion, earned two wins against one loss but failed to reach the knockout stages. At the Billie Jean King Cup, she and the Polish squad made the semifinals, where they lost to eventual champions Italy.

"Nevertheless, Iga is a fighter on and off court, this was another tough battle she won. Now we will focus together on the next season supporting each other and working as a team," Wim Fissette said.

Despite the setbacks, Iga Swiatek scripted a noteworthy 2024 campaign, winning five titles—four WTA 1000s (Doha, Indian Wells, Madrid, and Rome)—and her fifth Grand Slam at the French Open.