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Serena Williams' former coach, Rennae Stubbs, recently raised doubts about the hyped-up role of Iga Swiatek's psychologist, Daria Abramowicz. According to the renowned analyst, Swiatek currently appears to be going through a tough time with her form and there's no way her mental coach could play a role in turning the situation down. The statement came after Swiatek's disappointing defeat against Coco Gauff at the Madrid Open semifinals.
Iga Swiatek initiated her partnership with sports psychologist Daria Abramowicz in 2019 when she was 17 and ranked just inside the WTA Tour's top 150 rankings. The 37-year-old psychologist cited Swiatek's "competitive fire" as the reason behind taking the next step of joining her travelling team. Abramowicz widely came into focus during Swiatek's one-month suspension in 2024 for a positive test for trimetazidine. The Polish psychologist played a crucial role by providing guidance and helping her regain focus on training amid the controversy.
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Amid Swiatek's lost dominance at the ongoing clay court season, Serena Williams' former coach, Rennae Stubbs, denied the hype surrounding Daria Abramowicz's role in Swiatek's composure. Stubbs said in a recent episode of the Rennae Stubbs tennis podcast (39:50):
“I do also want to say, a lot of credit has been given, to her mental coach time and time again about how tough mentally she is. She has looked the opposite of tough mentally. I think that's to me the main issue."
She also mentioned how there's nothing a psychologist could do to help the 5-time Grand Slam champion regain her grip on clay.
"Yeah, but it goes hand in hand, right? So you can work on someone's mentality all day, every day. Also if they're not comfortable hitting the tennis ball, and they're confused about what they should be doing with the tennis ball, then that is the overriding factor. I can feel great all I want. I can be like, no, no, you're good. You're good," she added.
After her defeat against Coco Gauff in Madrid, Swiatek is currently participating WTA 1000 event in Rome.
Iga Swiatek admits to struggling with "perfectionism"
Iga Swiatek addressed the questions surrounding her diminished form on clay courts ahead of her Italian Open 2025 campaign. The Polish WTA star admitted that she is lacking "perfectionism" in the ongoing season, along with mentioning that the choices she's making are unexpectedly turning in the wrong direction.
"This year I feel like I am struggling a bit more with my perfectionism. I have a love-and-hate relationship with my perfectionism. The thing is, I only remember the good stuff because I was winning titles and everything. I’m making decisions that are not really good at the moment because I just remember how it felt in previous tournaments. I assume it’s going to go in, and then I make mistakes. It’s not the same; I’m confused," she said in a pre-event press conference.
Iga Swiatek is currently seeking a resurgence after her last victory at Roland-Garros in 2024. The WTA star's best result this season was making it to the semifinals in Melbourne, Qatar and Madrid. Her opening round of 64 match against Elisabetta Cocciaretto at the Italian Open 2025 is scheduled for Thursday, May 8.
