Swiatek withdraws from Madrid Open after falling ill in match
Iga Swiatek withdraws from Madrid Open after falling ill during match
Frances Tiafoe and his coach David Witt ended their partnership after over a year, coinciding with Tiafoe's decision to conclude his season early in October 2023. Tiafoe has since returned to the ATP Tour top 20 under new coach Todd Martin.
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Frances Tiafoe and David Witt parted ways after more than a year working together, with the split coming at the end of 2023 when Tiafoe decided to end his season early.
Tiafoe chose to finish his season early in October following a rough stretch, which included disappointing results at both the US Open and the Davis Cup.
Since then, heās climbed back into the ATP Tour top 20, thanks to strong showings at both the Miami Open and Acapulco while working under new coach Todd Martin.
Now six months on from their split, Witt has shed light on one of the final pieces of advice he gave Tiafoe before they went their separate ways.
Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images
While Tiafoe didnāt win any titles under Witt, he did make it to the Houston Open final in 2025.
Witt, reflecting on his time with Tiafoe, shared on the Inside-In Tennis Podcast that he valued the experience.
āI think itās more about a little bit of strategy but itās more about competing and just being a dog. I think itās extremely hard to win on the menās tour. I think one thing we try to work hard on was the serve and getting more free points on the serve,ā he said.
He also pointed out that better fitness would be key for Tiafoe if he wanted to get back up in the rankings.
āBut at the end of the year when we stopped, Iām glad he is doing better, but the one thing I told him before we ended is that you have to get into the best shape of your life in 2026.ā
āI was good with him because I told him that and then he fired me! And he got in good shape. But he needed to, so he could compete the way that he needs to and play points. I love Frances. Heās awesome. Heās hard to not like and is always smiling, so itās good.ā
Frances Tiafoe decided to end his partnership with David Witt after a challenging season, which included disappointing performances at the US Open and Davis Cup.
Before changing coaches, Frances Tiafoe experienced a rough stretch, particularly at the US Open and the Davis Cup, leading him to finish his season early.
Since hiring Todd Martin as his new coach, Frances Tiafoe has climbed back into the ATP Tour top 20, achieving strong results at the Miami Open and Acapulco.
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Tiafoe has shown real improvement in 2026, bouncing back well after a rough patch late last year.
He hasnāt played on the European clay circuit yet, with his most recent match coming in Houston. Even so, his record this season is something to be encouraged by.
With the Italian Open on the horizon, Tiafoe is currently sitting on a 17-8 record for the year.
That run includes some notable wins during the American swing, with Jakub Mensik, Flavio Cobolli and Jenson Brooksby among those beaten along the way.
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