World No. 3 Iga Świątek has ended her 18-month partnership with coach Wim Fissette following a shocking first-round exit at the Miami Open. While the Pole did win the Wimbledon crown last year under his guidance, she lifted only two other singles titles during their stint. With Świątek yet to name a new coach, several prominent names have been thrown into the mix.

According to a report by Sport.pl, one of the names being considered for the position is Michael Joyce. Though the former American player is Katie Boulter’s coach, he could still be in contention to replace Fissette on Świątek‘s team. Joyce does have a vast resume when it comes to coaching, as he began his career all the way back in 2004 with Maria Sharapova.

Joyce went on to achieve major success alongside Sharapova, as he helped her win three Grand Slams and become World No. 1. He coached the Russian player for a total of seven years before departing in 2011. It was during this long stint that Joyce made a name for himself as a coach.

Joyce then became the coach of an 18-year-old Jessica Pegula. While the latter may be a well-known name today, she was still rising through the ranks back in 2012. He spent a good five years before eventually leaving in 2017. Joyce would then go on to coach another former World No. 1 in Victoria Azarenka, but his short stint didn’t result in much success for the Belarusian. The pair would split after just eight months as Azarenka failed to pick up her form and was focused on the custodial battle for her eight-year-old son.

In the next four years, Joyce would have short but unsuccessful stints with Johanna Konta, Eugenie Bouchard, and Timea Babos. He would then join the USTA Player Development as a women’s tennis coach in 2021. It was after this that he found his next long coaching stint and joined Ashlyn Krueger in 2021.

While she was still a teenager at that time, Krueger gradually started to impress under Joyce’s guidance. She eventually went on to reach a career-high singles ranking of No. 29 in 2025, which was a big achievement indeed, considering that she was just 21 at the time. Though it looked like the youngster was on the right track, she decided to part ways with Joyce by the end of the year.

It was after this that he joined Katie Boulter in January 2026. Świątek‘s fans may remember her from their clash at the 2025 United Open, where the Pole prevailed 6-7 (4), 6-1, 6-4 in what was a grueling encounter. Despite the association with the British tennis player, it is expected that he wouldn’t say no to joining a top player like Świątek if the opportunity arises.

With the clay-court season being right around the corner, Świątek will have to make her choice fast. Otherwise, she will have to enter the long European leg of the WTA Tour without a coach by her side.

Another concern for Świątek heading into the next leg is her form. The 24-year-old hasn’t really looked her best this year and has failed to make it past the quarterfinals in any of the tournaments so far.

Iga Świątek’s underwhelming 2026 so far

She looked to be in good touch in the early stages of the Australian Open and lost just one set on her path to the last 8. However, she got knocked out after a one-sided 5-7, 1-6 defeat to eventual champion Elena Rybakina. The Qatar Open didn’t prove to be much better either, as a shocking 6-2, 4-6, 5-7 defeat to Greece’s Maria Sakkari knocked her out in the quarterfinals.

The story repeated itself at the Indian Masters as the Pole would once again bow out in the last 8, this time losing 2-6, 6-4, 4-6 to Elina Svitolina. However, her first-round defeat to compatriot Magda Linette at the Miami Open was the most unexpected one of them all.

Świątek completely lost her composure after winning the first set 6-1 and lost the next two 5-7, 3-6 as Linette advanced to the Round of 32. This result not only snapped her 73‑match unbeaten streak in opening rounds but also proved to be Fissette’s last match as her coach.

Following this major disappointment, Świątek‘s next assignment will probably be the Stuttgart Open, which is set to begin on April 13 and will mark the beginning of the clay-court season. It remains to be seen if a change in courts will help bring a change to her fortunes as well.