Iga Swiatek's coach Wim Fissette gives strongly-worded reaction to Nick Kyrgios, Simona Halep & others for 'negative' stance in Pole's doping saga

Iga Swiatek's coach, Wim Fissette, has responded to those who have questioned the Pole's innocence in her doping scandal. Many tennis stars, including Nick Kyrgios, Simona Halep, and Yevgeny Kafelnikov, have repeatedly criticized Swiatek since her doping saga came to light.

The Pole tested positive for low traces of the banned substance trimetazidine and received a one-month suspension from the International Tennis Integrity Agency. The substance entered her body via sleep medication, and ITIA accepted Swiatek was not at fault and that doping was accidental.

Nevertheless, the case stirred massive controversy in the tennis world, with many star players, current and former, slamming Swiatek for taking the performance-enhancing substance even though it was accidental. Kyrgios has repeatedly taken potshots at the Pole on social media. Meanwhile, Halep has called out the ITIA for having double standards. Former Russian player Kafelnikov even called for a life ban for players caught doping.

Fissette issed a response to Swiatek's critics and vigorously defended her. In an interview with the Polish news agency Przegląd Sportowy Onet, Fissette argued that those who have read all the documents related to the case would not question Swiatek's innocence.

Fissette asserted that any player could find themselves in a situation like Swiatek's. The Belgian then suggested that those who continue to condemn the World No. 2 should be questioned about their knowledge of the case.

"There will always be people who will be negative, but I think that anyone who has read all the documents that Iga has provided and shown to the whole world, sees what happened. And should understand that it was just bad luck. It can happen to any player."

"I think that those people who are negative about the case, we should ask a few questions about Iga's report and thus check whether they have actually read it," Wim Fissette said.

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Wim Fissette knew about Iga Swiatek's doping case before coming on board

Wim Fissette and Iga Swiatek (Source: Getty)

Iga Swiatek hired Wim Fissette in October after parting ways with her longtime coach, Tomasz Wiktorowski, amid her doping saga. Wiktorowski worked with Swiatek from 2021 to 2024 and guided her to the top of the WTA rankings and four of her five Grand Slam titles.

Fissette is a well-renowned coach on the WTA circuit. He has worked with World No. 1s and Grand Slam champions like Naomi Osaka, Simona Halep, and Kim Clijsters. In an interview after Swiatek's case came to light, Fissette revealed that the Pole's team had informed him about the positive doping test when they talked about a possible partnership and left it up to him to decide whether he wanted to become her head coach.

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

Fissette was in Iga Swiatek's player's box during the 2024 WTA Finals, where she was the defending champion. The 23-year-old bowed out of the competition in the group stage and lost her World No. 1 ranking to Aryna Sabalenka.