So, I’m still feeling disheartened by Iga’s exit from RG. I think it’s feeling somewhat emphasised by the performances of other players and a lot of them talking about self-belief and coaching support systems helping them to progress. I think she was really open and honest in her post-match interviews about the impact that stress, overthinking and low confidence is having on her game. It is very good to hear her talking about it publicly but now finding the solution to solving the matter is really crucial… because that really should have been done by now. I think her talking about feeling good in Rome but not feeling confident enough to execute an efficient gameplan is pretty nailed on. Roig has helped her rediscover parts of her arsenal but her head is telling her no. She should have beaten Elina in Rome, like she should have beaten Mirra in Stuttgart but the minute something didn't go right, she just couldn't find her way back in.
She 100% needs a result against a top player (or a title) to reignite the spark but she can only do that if she has a breakthrough of the mental blockade. I really hope that her speaking so publicly about her mental game going absent has made her think a bit more about who is on her team and what's the need for them, especially if they're not doing their job efficiently.
And if the rumours of her pursuing a second coach are true, she could definitely do with another female presence or someone like Rodriguez (@topspinforehand put the idea into my head and now I'm fully on the train). The smartest thing for her to do is to look at how a biomechanics specialist took a DF-prone, slam-less Sabalenka, fixed her serve and helped her win. But if she's too stubborn or her team is too short-sighted to see that, she needs another person on her team that can bring further tennis expertise and a greater sense of belief and support to a young woman that desperately needs it.
