Serena Williams' ex-coach disagrees with Coco Gauff's former coach's controversial comments on Iga Swiatek's Wimbledon win: Here's why

Serena Williams' ex-coach, Rick Macci, has spoken out against Brad Gilbert’s recent comments about Iga Swiatek’s Wimbledon victory. Macci made it clear he doesn’t agree with Gilbert's take, which stirred up quite a bit of controversy and drew criticism from many fans and experts alike.

Swiatek silenced critics who doubted her ability on grass by winning Wimbledon this year, defeating Amanda Anisimova in the final on July 12. However, her path to the title raised a few eyebrows, as she didn’t face a single Top 10 opponent en route to the championship match.

She beat Polina Kudermetova, Caty McNally, Danielle Collins, Clara Tauson, Liudmila Samsonova, and Belinda Bencic, with only Samsonova (19th seed) and Tauson (23rd seed) being seeded among them.

Gilbert, who previously coached Coco Gauff, didn’t waste time taking to X (formerly Twitter) to highlight the stat moments after the Pole's win. He wrote:

"Crazy. Iga Pop tourney stat,the highest ranked player she has played this @Wimbledon Samsonova at 19 AA is ranked 12, not sure when last time someone won a Slam without facing a top 10 player."

Now, Macci, who’s also quite active on X and had been openly rooting for Iga Swiatek throughout her Wimbledon campaign, weighed in on Gilbert’s remarks. Responding on the same platform, he made it clear he didn’t agree with the former pro, saying:

"People say Iga did not Beat a top 10 player to win W they are correct. She did not beat them she Punished them. Also the Polish Punisher was SO Connected mind and body BUT she does not have the Connections to make the draw."

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Serena Williams' ex-coach Rick Macci praises Iga Swiatek for winning Wimbledon despite a 'tough' draw

Iga Swiatek pictured at the 2025 Wimbledon Championships | Image Source: Getty

Serena Williams' ex-coach, Rick Macci, didn’t hold back in praising Iga Swiatek, taking to X once again to applaud her grit. He credited her for battling through what he described as a “tough” draw and getting the job done to lift the title.

Macci wrote:

"Iga had her worst Seed ever at Wimbledon and on paper a tougher draw. But on the grass the Polish Punisher planted mental magic Seeds of uncanny focus and ball striking and each match her confidence Grew and Grew."

Macci also drew a comparison between Swiatek and Williams, expressing his excitement about how many double-digit Grand Slam titles the Pole could go on to win in the future.

"Iga now is in rare air with favorite nicest meanest little kid I ever taught Serena. Iga is the second youngest ever to win on all surfaces and the best female player in this era with Grand Slam number 6 and we will see how many double digits will be in the mix," the veteran coach wrote.

Edited by Pritha Ghosh