You have known Igba Šwiateková for a long time, you used to be her coach. Is it a surprise to you that she is already the world number one in 20 years? What do you think about it?
It’s great what she achieved and I really wish I could go. It was a surprise when she won the French Open at the age of 18. But I saw a huge talent in her. I always told her that one day she would be better than her compatriot (Agnieszka) Radwanska (former world number two), but she didn’t believe it.
He is currently at the top of the list ahead of pursuers Krejčíková or Badosaová. How long can he stay in the first place?
As I have known her practically since I was a child, I know that she has a huge desire to achieve something. It’s in nature. I think that if she does not have serious health problems, she could stay in the first place for a very long time. She is very stubborn, ambitious and knows what she wants.
Among the congratulators to gain the world throne were, for example, Bayern gunner Robert Lewandowski or tennis legends Rod Laver and Chris Evert. Did you manage to congratulate her too?
Unfortunately, no. We haven’t communicated so much together lately, only through Facebook and such. But now I’m looking for a new phone number through my colleague Kacper Zuk, who is in contact with her, so I can congratulate her.
How did your collaboration actually come about?
When I was still in Prostějov as a coach, a group from Warsaw went there to train for the holidays. She went there too. Her fitness trainer came to see me if she (Šwiateková) could not join any training, or if she could not play with me. This is how our cooperation was born, with the fact that she then started going to Prostějov more and more often, not within the Polish camp. I sponsored her trainings there.
Where did the cooperation continue?
Then I was with her in Warsaw. Subsequently, however, she had health problems, she had to have surgery. Then our paths slowly parted. In Warsaw at the time, she even played in a plaster wheelchair. And a year later she won the junior Wimbledon. For the next two years, she dominated the adult French Open.
But you also got an offer to be her coach on the WTA circuit, now you could sit in the world number one box in tournaments. Why did it come off?
When she was a junior and wanted to do more in women, her team called me if I wasn’t interested. But half a year before, I promised another cooperation and I did not want to disturb it. I am a principled man. What is agreed will be adhered to.
By the way, do you know the current Swiatek coach Tomasz Wiktorowski, who also led Agnieszka Radwanska?
No, but I knew her former coach Piotr (Sierzputowski). I also dealt with some things with him when he went with Iga to Prostějov.
During your active playing career, you also trained with Petra Kvitová. By the way, Šwiateková paid tribute to her after the quarterfinals in Miami. You know both champions very well, how would you compare them?
I took Petra into training because she used to be an excellent sparring partner. When I put her in the corner, she didn’t spoil the ball, she played fast. That was great. Both are quite similar to Iga, the ambition has always been in them. Iga, I’d say, was a little tougher, more action-packed. Petra was calmer. At least that’s how it seemed to me, Iga was just such a bulldog.
Michal Tabara with a trophy for the winner of the ATP tournament in Chennai.Photo: Profimedia.cz
When you refused to coach Šwiateková on a professional circuit, where did you go professionally?
I started to educate players in the Hradiště klub Tenis Slovácko. There, I was fascinated by the conceptual education of young tennis players. Therefore, even though I was approached by Iga again, I no longer accepted the offer. I am extremely satisfied here in terms of facilities, club operation, cooperation with coaches. I can not complain. Quite the contrary.
And would you still be tempted to work in professional tennis?
I really enjoy this job with people who are just learning tennis, they can see the progress and gratitude. This may be a little more to me than professional tennis. I like that we have a system of education set up so that the club also has its own sports kindergarten and club, at the same time we need a running project Sporťák, which involves 800 children from nearby kindergartens and schools. As I have already said, a quality coaching team is also important to me, where my former teammate Honza Svoboda is the head coach, who has experience with the WTA circuit from the cooperation with Petra Kvitová but also with the ATP. Laga.
These are quite above-standard conditions for a regional club …
Oh yes. Tennis Slovácko offers its players high quality conditions, including accommodation and its own physiotherapist. In addition, he is a founding member of the Regional Tennis Academy of the Zlín Region.
