Former world number one urges Anisimova: Quickly hire Swiatek's former coach!

After exiting the Miami Open, Swiatek and Anisimova almost simultaneously dismissed their coaches. Yesterday, Swiatek announced her new coach is Roig, who coached Nadal for 17 years.

Just after Swiatek announced her new coach yesterday, former women's singles world number one Clijsters urged Anisimova, suggesting she promptly hire Fisette, who was recently fired by Swiatek.

The reason Clijsters urged Anisimova to act quickly is twofold: first, the European clay season is about to begin, and Anisimova must find a coach immediately, otherwise her clay season performance could be significantly affected; second, Fisette is currently available, and Anisimova must move fast, otherwise this renowned coach might be snatched by someone else.

On April 2, Swiatek (left) announced her new coach is Roig (right)

On the surface, the tennis world seems vast, with players not very familiar with each other, as they hardly communicate during competitions, appearing like strangers.

There are thousands of players with world rankings, a very large group. But in reality, the tennis world is not that big; this large population is subdivided into many tiers by ranking, and players from different tiers rarely have opportunities to interact, while players within the same tier are often very familiar. For example, players consistently ranked in the Top10 or Top20 are basically quite familiar with each other.

Corresponding to the players, coaches within the same tier are also very familiar with each other, as they need to study the playing styles of the players coached by their counterparts. Moreover, top-tier coaches are very scarce; they remain in the same tier for long periods, and a current coach for player A might have previously coached players B, C, and D, which is quite common. For instance, Fisette has coached Osaka, Zheng Qinwen, Swiatek, etc., while Roig has coached Nadal, Berrettini, Raducanu, etc., and Zheng Qinwen's coach Ribba has coached Gauff.

Anisimova (right) won the 2025 Wimbledon women's singles runner-up title

Last year was Anisimova's most successful season; her world ranking at the start of the year was 36, but by the end of the year she rose to world number four and qualified for the year-end finals.

Anisimova's success was mainly due to outstanding performances in major tournaments; she reached the finals at Wimbledon and the US Open last year, and subsequently won the WTA1000 China Open. At the year-end finals, Anisimova advanced to the semifinals with a 2-1 record in the group stage, losing to Sabalenka in the semifinals.

Based on her strong performance last year, Anisimova was considered a favorite for this year's Australian Open, but she lost in two sets to Pegula in the quarterfinals. Afterwards, Anisimova's form began to decline; she lost in her first match at Doha, and reached the semifinals in Dubai but again lost to Pegula.

Arriving at the North American "Sunshine Double," Anisimova lost in the fourth round of Indian Wells to the Canadian rising star Mboko, and in the fourth round of Miami to Bencic.

Besides Anisimova, Swiatek also performed poorly at the Sunshine Double; after losing their matches in Miami, both dismissed their coaches almost simultaneously.

Anisimova (left) won the 2025 US Open women's singles runner-up title

Last year, Anisimova won the WTA Most Improved Player award, and her coach Fleishhauser won the WTA Coach of the Year award. Unexpectedly, just three months later, Anisimova fired this accomplished coach.

In her statement, Anisimova wrote, "This journey has been full of twists and unforgettable experiences. Last year we shared many special moments and achievements together, which will forever remain in my heart! We won several trophies and reached important milestones, but the laughter and behind-the-scenes stories are even more unforgettable for me. Thank you, Rick, for everything you did for me. Because you treated me first as a person, not just an athlete. That meant a lot to me and made our partnership wonderful. Your dedication, loyalty, and passion are undeniable! I wish you all the best and happiness in your next chapter!"

According to the previously planned tournament schedule, Anisimova was originally seeded second for the WTA500 Charleston Open, but had to withdraw from this green clay event due to a hip injury.

On March 27, Anisimova (left) announced parting ways with coach Fleishhauser (right)

In a recent podcast, former women's singles world number one Clijsters suggested Anisimova choose Fisette, who was recently fired by Swiatek, as her coach, "Perhaps Fisette or someone else will become Anisimova's next coach, we'll wait and see. I've always said, if Fisette could join Anisimova's team, I think it would be great, because Fisette is someone players trust, he boosts players' confidence, and he dedicates himself fully to the player he coaches. During his coaching tenure, he practically lives for the player he coaches."

Currently, Swiatek is training on the clay courts at the Nadal Tennis Academy; with short-term guidance from her new coach Roig and advice from her idol Nadal, this will help Swiatek prepare more thoroughly for the clay season.

In contrast, Anisimova faces huge pressure to defend points in the upcoming clay season, grass season, North American hard court season, and China season. If she cannot find a suitable coach promptly, her form and results will be hard to guarantee,不利于及时恢复和提振信心, and if her performance falls short of last year, her ranking will quickly decline.

Anisimova won the 2025 China Open women's singles championship

This is precisely the important reason Clijsters publicly urged Anisimova. Currently, Anisimova's selection of a new coach is very urgent; time is indeed running out for her, and the options are limited.

Will Anisimova accept Clijsters' suggestion? The answer will likely come soon!(Source: Tennis Home Author: Yun Juan Yun Shu)