“As tennis players, we meet many people on our journey who add great value to our work and often to our lives, as we are on tour together almost all year round,” Iga Swiatek said on Instagram in December 2021. She had just split up with her long-time coach, Piotr Sierzputowskiwith whom she had worked since 2016. Although no clear reason for the separation was given, Swiatek simply stated that she wanted a preseason “without any pressure from outside.” Ever heard: One man’s loss is another man’s gain?

Sierzputowski, a former junior tennis player, was born in Nowy Dwór Gdański and began training in his early teens. He initially coached his younger sister Alicja, but soon expanded his training to other girls at a local tennis club in Pomerania. While supporting his sister’s career, he spent time in the United States working with her and other players, including at the Johan Kriek Tennis Academy. After returning to Poland, he became an assistant coach at the Legia Warsaw tennis club. In mid-2016, after reaching the quarterfinals of the Junior French Open, then-15-year-old Iga Świątek began working with then-23-year-old Sierzputowski at Legia Warsaw.

The 2020 WTA Coach of the Year had led the Polish player to her first Grand Slam (on clay) that year. Swiatek was 19 years old and the youngest player since Monica Seles to achieve that. In most people’s eyes, it was a dream collaboration. Especially since the two have been working together for more than 5 years. In 2020, Sierzputowski was awarded the Piotr Nurowski Polish Olympic Committee for Sport Grand Honorary Prize in the “Coach” category for his work with Iga Świątek. In 2021, Swiatek also won the WTA 1000 in Rome and the WTA 500 event in Adelaide, qualifying for the WTA Finals for the first time. It was a fairytale run until something moved in Iga.

But towards the end of the year, she felt that a change was needed and parted ways with Sierzputowski. In the off-season, before the start of the 2022 season, the Pole had teamed up with Tomasz Wiktorowski, with whom she undeniably had an extremely successful season. But Iga Swiatek was not the only one to move on. Her ex-coach also had to move on.

In early 2022, Sierzputowski began working as a tennis commentator for Eurosport Polska, including for some of Świątek’s matches. In addition took on the role of coach for top-50 American player Shelby Rogers. She was struggling with injuries and physical problems at the time and hired Sierzputowski in hopes of a better season. She had only made Grand Slam appearances at the 2016 French Open and the 2020 US Open, where she was eliminated in the quarterfinals at both tournaments. And after working with Swiatek’s previous coach, Rogers had nothing but good things to say about him.

“I think he’s just a really passionate guy. He loves what he does, for sure.” the American told usopen.org in 2022. “He brings really positive energy every week, which is really helpful because it’s a long season, a long year. He’s very knowledgeable and constantly trying to learn more, which I really appreciate. Together we figure out how to do this best, so it’s a real team effort, (but) the positivity, the energy, is just tremendous.”

Even Sierzputowski was impressed by his new protégé. He said in Indian Wells that same year: “I have to say I’m incredibly impressed with how cleanly she hits the ball…Shelby can hit the center of the sweet spot, consistently, one ball after another – it’s a joy to watch.”

Interestingly, the Polish coach had seen the split from Iga Swiatek coming for some time. But was he upset that he had to leave? No, unlike most others, Sierzputowski still had a high opinion of his former mentee even after the split.

“She conducted this conversation very well” : Piotr Sierzputowski on the separation from Iga Swiatek

Change is the only constant that drives us all forward. Especially for athletes, sticking to the same formulas does not always lead to the top. When she worked with Sierzputowski, Iga Swiatek was world number 4. In April 2022, the Pole reached world number 1 and has maintained that position almost consistently since then.

No wonder Sierzputowski knew why the change had to be made. “I think I should have found out somehow. At the meeting with Iga and the staff. After I spoke to Iga, she told me what decision she had made. In my opinion, she handled that conversation very well… Kudos to her for her behavior,” he said at the time.

With Tomasz Wiktorowski, it’s been over three years now and the partnership is still going strong. Iga Swiatek is already a five-time Grand Slam winner and has four victories at the French Open alone, just three less than Chris Evert. Shelby Rogers, on the other hand, is stubbornly trying to climb the rankings with her secret weapon!