"I think it’s very possible": CoCo Vandeweghe expresses concern about Iga Swiatek's mental health after recent struggles

Former American tennis player CoCo Vandeweghe has expressed some concern about Poland’s Iga Swiatek just before the start of her Madrid Open campaign. The 23-year-old, who is regarded as one of the best players currently playing in women’s tennis in the singles category, along with the likes of Aryna Sabalenka, is going through a difficult phase according to her own high standards.

It is for this reason that Swiatek has not lifted a single WTA title ever since winning the French Open last year. The reigning world number two is currently taking part in the Madrid Open, where she cemented her spot in the round of 32 after beating the Philippines’ Alexandra Eala with a score of 4-6, 6-2, 6-2.

Former American player Vandeweghe has been quoted in a report before Swiatek featured in her first game of the ongoing WTA 1000 event in Madrid, where she highlighted what has concerned her the most about the five-time Grand Slam winner. The 33-year-old stated that she is concerned about the physical condition of Swiatek, who is now also travelling with a ‘mental coach’.

“I think that is something that has been a bit of a chink in the armour of late, as we are seeing a lot more explosions of emotions,” she said as quote by The Tennis Gazette. “An explosion of emotion from Iga is what I would call breaking a racket or hitting a ball out the stadium, that would have meant nothing to me, but because she has been so stoic for so long it’s more aggressive. It’s like woah. Just like when we saw Carlos Alcaraz break that racket in Cincinnati, that was just a huge shock. What I am more concerned about, is that because she is one of these players that has been open about her mental health, she travels with a mental coach. What is going on between the two? Is there a new conversation going on? Is she trying to work on things and it’s not working? Plus she is not with Tomasz [Wiktorowski] any more. She is with Wim Fissette and somebody not from Poland. She has been very open and honest that she wants to stick with the Polish demographic. It’s more comfortable for her. How long does Wim Fissette stick around? I think it’s very possible, if not this tournament but at Roland Garros that she gets passed over for number two.”