Jonathan Jurejko – Tennis news correspondent for BBC Sport
When Swiatek ended her partnership with Viktorovski, she explained that she was planning to move away from an all-Polish team and appoint a top coach “from abroad”.
Visette, a Belgian who has worked with a wide range of top WTA players, was the perfect fit.
In fact, there was not as wide a pool of candidates who met the criteria – specifically Grand Slam-winning coaches with a global reputation – as Swiatek demanded.
Fiset’s credentials are clearly visible. He has guided Belgium’s Kim Clijsters, Germany’s Angelique Kerber and Japan’s Naomi Osaka to major titles, and has also worked with former world No. 1s Simona Halep and Victoria Azarenka, while helping Britain’s Johanna Konta reach the Wimbledon semi-finals in 2017.
The quiet and easy-going 44-year-old describes himself as a coach who believes in the “magic of positive reinforcement” and “tuning in” with the player to create a team environment.
These are qualities that could be attractive – and prove very useful – to Swiatek right now. Despite her dominant success over the past few seasons, she has cut a frustrating figure recently.
After losing in the Olympic semi-finals, she said she cried for “six hours” and was overcome with emotion after losing in the US Open quarter-finals. She has not played since for personal reasons, after speaking publicly about the effects of “crazy” scheduling on top players.
Interestingly, Swiatek emphasizes that her career is “a marathon, not a sprint.” However, Fissette – who has never collaborated with his players for long – appears to be more than just a short-term solution that could help revitalize a player looking to rediscover her mojo.
