Iga Swiatek ended her coaching relationship with Wim Fissette after the Miami Open.
Their year-and-a-half-long partnership yielded a Wimbledon title and a lengthy stint at world number two, but it was far from perfect.
The Pole was poor (by her standards) on clay last year and endured a tricky start to her 2026 WTA Tour campaign. Therefore, it didn’t come as much of a surprise to see Swiatek and Fissette part ways.
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As Swiatek searches for a replacement, several players, including Great Britain’s Katie Boulter, are at risk of losing their coaches.
Polish reports suggest Katie Boulter’s coach is an option for Iga Swiatek
Polish media outlet ‘Sport.pl‘ shared an update on Swiatek’s hunt for a new coach.
“We’ve heard from a reliable source that Iga Swiatek’s new coach could be someone the media hasn’t mentioned about our tennis player. He’s Michael Joyce,” they said.
53-year-old Michael Joyce joined Boulter’s team earlier this year.
The American previously enjoyed stints with several top women’s players, including Maria Sharapova and Jessica Pegula.
Michael Joyce’s coaching history
- Maria Sharapova – 2004-2011
- Jessica Pegula – 2012-2017
- Victoria Azarenka – 2017
- Johanna Konta – 2018
- Eugenie Bouchard – 2018-2019
- Timea Babos – 2019-2020
- Ashlyn Krueger – 2021-2025
- Katie Boulter – 2026*
Since hiring Joyce, Boulter won her first title in two years, at the Ostrava Open.
Earlier this month, Boulter commented on her budding partnership with Joyce.
“I’ve just got a new coach and we’re still working things out. I’m having to be patient, which isn’t my biggest virtue,” she said.
“In a way, I’m surprised I already did well in one of the tournaments [the Ostrava Open] because when you change coaches, you’re still very much walking on eggshells and working things out.”
29-year-old Boulter now sits 64th in the Live WTA Rankings, jumping 36 places since the start of the year.
She’ll be hoping to keep hold of Joyce and continue charging up the rankings, although the Polish media don’t think he would turn down the chance to jump ship.
“He recently started working with Boulter. With all due respect to the British player, she’s not at the same level as Swiatek,” they said.
“Working with Iga is a challenging endeavour, and likely also means higher pay.”
They might have a point, as while Boulter has the potential to win titles on the WTA Tour, it seems unlikely that she will ever challenge for Grand Slams.
Swiatek, on the other hand, is already a six-time major champion and will be one of the big favorites for Roland Garros in a few months.
If Swiatek does come calling, Boulter might need to find herself a new coach…
How did Katie Boulter perform at the Sunshine Double?
Despite winning the Ostrava Open and reaching the quarterfinals of the Merida Open, Boulter failed to gain direct entry into the Indian Wells main draw.
Boulter won her first match in qualifying, but fell at the final hurdle, losing to Andorra’s Victoria Jimenez Kasintseva in straight sets.
She didn’t let that get her down, though, and bounced back in Miami, where she did enter the main draw.
Boulter defeated Jessica Bouzas Maneiro in her opener to set up a second-round clash with the 17th seed Clara Tauson.
The Briton dropped the first set in a tiebreaker, 6-7 [4-7], before taking the second 6-4, to force a decider.
There, Tauson retired due to injury after just one game, sending Boulter through to round three.
She faced the unenviable task of playing the in-form Karolina Muchova.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, it was there that Boulter’s Miami Open run ended, losing to the Czech in straight sets, 3-6, 5-7.
A defeat that has aged well, as Muchova now prepares for her semifinal match in Florida…
Katie Boulter at the Sunshine Double
| Match | Opponent | Opponent’s rank | Result | Score |
| 2026 Miami Open – 3R | Karolina Muchova | 14th | LOSS | 3-6, 5-7 |
| 2026 Miami Open – 2R | Clara Tauson | 16th | WIN | 6-7, 6-4, 1-0 (RET) |
| 2026 Miami Open – 1R | Jessica Bouzas Maneiro | 48th | WIN | 7-6, 6-4 |
| 2026 Indian Wells – Q2 | Victoria Jimenez Kasintseva | 97th | LOSS | 6-2, 5-7, 2-6 |
| 2026 Indian Wells – Q1 | Viktoriya Tomova | 151st | WIN | 6-4, 6-3 |
Boulter is next scheduled to appear at the Linz Open in Austria.
Will she do so with Joyce by her side? Only time will tell.
The 2026 Linz Open begins on Monday, April 6.