Iga Swiatek might be a household name now but a few years back, she was still learning the nuances of becoming a top-class athlete. The Pole, who recently captured her maiden Wimbledon title on the Centre Court, has witnessed endless moments in her young career where she followed the guiding light of crucial figures. Especially her coaches. As of now she’s working alongside Wim Fissette—who previously shaped the careers of icons like Kim Clijsters, Simona Halep, and Angelique Kerber. Needless to say, the Belgian’s done an impressive job so far, with Swiatek having won her first major under his tutelage. But do you know there was another special person who helped her during the early days? At a time when she was far from being a six-time slam queen eventually. There was a former polish coach who assisted a young Swiatek in harnessing her true potential.
Swiatek’s ex-trainer and famed Polish sports figure Grzegorz Wilczyński recently passed away. Wilczyński was a highly respected figure in Poland due to his immense contribution to various disciplines. He was involved in the physical preparation of many homegrown athletes. Swiatek was one of them as well. Before she shot to fame, Wilczyński worked with her while supervising her path. He also assisted another Polish tennis player and ex-WTA pro Marta Domachowska.
Soccer club Lech Poznań, where Wilczyński was employed more than a decade ago, shared the unfortunate update of his demise. A post on X read, “With sadness, we inform you that on Thursday (July 24), Grzegorz Wilczyński passed away after a long illness.” The exact cause of his death wasn’t confirmed. “At Lech Poznań, he worked for three years (2006-2009) as a physical preparation coach. Representatives of Lech Poznań extend their condolences to the grieving family.”
Speaking more of Wilczyński, he belonged to the local community of Oleśnica. As a competitor, he trained sprint runs in Oleśniczanka. Later, he would go on to become a specialist in motor preparation. He received his coaching qualification while studying at the Academy of Physical Education in Poznań.
When it comes to notable contributions, he worked with the Polish Olympic team. However, he also spent time with the Italian athletics club simultaneously. In 1984, he was awarded the gold honorary badge of the Polish Athletics Association. It was given for his work in gymnastics—often referred to as the ‘queen of sports.’
Ze smutkiem informujemy, że w czwartek (24 lipca) zmarł po długiej chorobie Grzegorz Wilczyński. W Lechu Poznań pracował przez trzy lata (2006-2009) jako trener przygotowania fizycznego.
Pogrążonej w żałobie rodzinie wyrazy współczucia składają przedstawiciele Lecha Poznań. pic.twitter.com/S3MjpRPvvm
— Lech Poznań (@LechPoznan) July 25, 2025
He even made contributions in Rugby. As a training coach of French club CA Brive, he helped them win the championship in 1997. A year later, the team also clinched the European vice-championship. Coming back to Wilczyński’s stint with Swiatek, not much is known regarding the exact timeline of his collaboration with the Pole.
But one can say she’s really achieved immense heights in her career lately, thanks to valuable inputs by Wilczyński back in the day. Perhaps that’s the reason Swiatek has learned how to make a strong comeback despite adversities. That’s exactly what she did at Wimbledon this season.
Iga Swiatek conquers grass with an inspirational return after failures
Since the beginning of the 2025 season, Iga Swiatek has been struggling to leave a lasting impression. Yes, she was delivering deep runs in the majority of her campaigns, but a trophy was missing. So much so that it took her more than a year to finally win a tournament. And what an occasion she chose to do that—atWimbledon.
After facing setbacks in Melbourne and then Roland Garros—on her beloved Parisian clay—Swiatek had a big challenge ahead. But hardly anyone gave her a chance prior to the commencement of the grass season. She made a gradual return, shining on the green surface during the Bad Homburg Open. Sadly, she didn’t win the event after losing to Jessica Pegula in the final. But what became inevitable was the fact that she was now playing well on grass. That was perhaps a massive indication of what was about to come at the All England Club.
And as we know, the rest is history. Swiatek made a comeback for the ages in London. Not only did she capture her sixth slam, but it also became special because it came on grass. Previously, she wasn’t able to move beyond the quarterfinal stage at Wimbledon. But now, she’s succeeded in getting her name etched on the Venus Rosewater Dish.
Her dominance in the latter rounds of Wimbledon was out-of-this-world. Firstly, she edged out Swiss pro Belinda Bencic with a scoreline of 6-2, 6-0. Then she bundled America’s Amanda Anisimova in the summit clash with a double bagel. Oh, and it took her just 57 minutes to make it happen. It was after a century that the grass major witnessed such carnage on the Centre Court. Back in 1911, Dorothea Lambert Chambers beat Dora Boothby 6-0, 6-0 as well.
Also, it was after 37 years that any WTA player won a Grand Slam final with a 6-0, 6-0 scoreline. Former legend Steffi Graf was the last woman to do so. Back in 1988, she lifted the French Open trophy after demolishing Nastasha Zvereva with a double bagel.
But Swiatek won’t be content with just one slam triumph this season. She would like to make it two in a row at the US Open. The Pole already won in New York nearly three years ago.
Riding on the wave of her historic Wimbledon milestone, she will try to replicate the same form at the Flushing Meadows. What are your thoughts on her prospects at the 2025 US Open? Let us know in the comments below.
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