As Naomi Osaka looks to plot the downfall of Iga Świątek at the Italian Open, she will have the support of someone who knows the Pole’s game well. The 28-year-old has been working with Świątek’s former coach since the middle of last year, and has enjoyed solid results.
Iga Świątek’s Former Coach Now Leading Naomi Osaka’s Bid To Return to the Top
Coaching shake-ups are common in tennis as players look to change things up if they go on a run of disappointing results. Several players have had coaches who have coached other top players, and even Świątek was coached by Osaka’s coach, Wim Fissette, for a brief period before she switched to Francisco Roig.
Osaka is now being coached by Tomasz Wiktorowski, who played a crucial role in Świątek’s rise to the top.
Wiktorowski got into tennis at a young age and played at the ITF level. While he never made his mark on the ATP Tour during his brief playing career, he is regarded as one of Poland’s most talented trainers.
The 45-year-old has a background in automotive engineering and transitioned into coaching with the nation’s Fed Cup and Olympic tennis teams in 2009, before taking over as Agnieszka Radwańska’s coach in 2011.
Wiktorowski then became Świątek’s coach at the end of the 2021 season and helped her go on a historic run. Under the Warsaw native’s tutelage, she won four Grand Slam titles and also became the world No. 1 in the WTA Rankings.
Świątek and Wiktorowski spent three years together before parting ways at the end of the 2024 season. She credited him for his “experience, analytical and strategic attitude and enormous knowledge about tennis,” and playing a crucial role in her rise to the top of the tennis charts.
As Świątek’s coach, Wiktorowski was also named the WTA Coach of the Year in 2023 and the Polish Coach of the Year in 2022.
After a brief break from tennis, Wiktorowski returned to the WTA Tour as Osaka’s coach. The collaboration got off to an excellent start, as Osaka made the final of the Canadian Open and the semifinals of the US Open. She has continued her strong run of form this year, showcasing glimpses of the qualities that helped her win four Grand Slams and become the world’s top-ranked player.
Two of Osaka’s four losses this year have come against Aryna Sabalenka, and she pushed the world No. 1 all the way when they last met at the Madrid Open.
Osaka will now have her sights set on taking down Świątek, and with Wiktorowski in her box, she will certainly fancy her chances of doing so.
