On Tuesday, Murphy Cassone will play his first game In the challenge just behind the Polish border, in Czech Ostrava. It will be the fifth American tournament with Piotr Sierzputowski as a coach.
The trainer, who led Iga Świątek for over five years, recently worked with Dalma Galfi. The cooperation lasted only from December 2024 to February this year. – We worked briefly, because we just didn't get along, we had a different approach, a different look – Sieprzuowski spoke recently at Sport.pl. Now the trainer reveals that the same day, when Galfi decided that it was the end, Cassone spoke to him with a proposal.
The American threw a college and hired a former coach Iga Świątek
– We've been knowing each other for two or three years. We met when I was a coach of Shelby Rogers [była pierwszą podopieczną Sierzputowskiego po Świątek]. We had relatively regular contact, even thanks to their joint training in the gym, often Murphy asked me questions related to tennishe asked for advice. He was a player from college for a long time, he played for Arizona State University, i.e. he couldn't play too many tournaments, because he did it only when he had a break from school. He wrote to me a year ago that he was wondering whether to end this career at the university. Finally, in the summer he decided to take a six -month break, and when he won Challenger in Calgary in October, he decided that he would not return to the university, he would only go to professionalism – Sierzputowski tells us.
Cassone was interested in working with Sierzputowski in autumn, but then the coach had different commitments. Young after some time tennis player He reminded the coach. – It worked ridiculously, because I finished cooperation with Dalma on Monday, and after the last conversation with her I saw that Murphy wrote a message in which he asked if we could talk tomorrow. The next day he called and asked if I would work with him. A few days later I got on the plane and flew to the States to see how it would be to meet him in everyday work and only decide if I get into it – we hear from the trainer.
At the end of March, Sierzputowski and Cassone went together to the first tournaments. – Two to Mexico, on hard courts. We also immediately reported him to five tournaments on Mączka, with the awareness that we would choose a maximum of four. After two tournaments on Mączka in the States, in Sarasot and Tallahasee, we decided that we will definitely work together at least to Wimbledon, and then we will decide what to do – adds the trainer.
To play in Grand Slam tournaments
Sierzputowski assures that he sees great potential in his new player. And he believes in his quick promotion in the ranking. – thinking long -term, we set ourselves a goal for next year and it is fightto be in the main tournaments of the Great Slam. And for this year, in my opinion, promotion to 150 is very real. Place in the ranking, and maybe even a little more – says the trainer.
An interesting fact is that the new player of Sierzputowski is now playing his first tournaments on Mączka for four years. – In the college on this surface it is not played. But I think that playing on meal is important, because if you want to develop a tennis player, he must be able to do everything. Of course, you can play hard all year round, but when you think about large tournaments, you have to work to not feel uncomfortable in those large played on flour – explains the coach. – The same applies to grass. On the grass, Murphy was in his garden and in the golf course, and on the court never. But I can see what a game he has and I think it's good under the grass. It is worth gaining experience – he adds.
Sierzputowski and Świątek can meet again in Paris
Cassone together with Sierzputowski in the summer are planning to appear on the Wimbledon qualifying rounds. And earlier they will go together for the eliminations of Roland Garros. Sierzputowski will appear in Paris for the first time so early. As a coach of Iga Świątek, he experienced great emotions in this tournament, including the triumph of the player in 2020. In turn, in 2024 he led Tomasz Berkieta to the final in the junior category. Now Cassone may have a big problem with breaking through the three -stage eliminations, since playing on the earth courts is just learning. But the Polish trainer believes that the American can do it.
– I think that he is a competitively gifted, physically very well prepared and nice fighting on the court, so I think that he will play really well on Mączka – emphasizes Sierzputowski.
For now, they have reached the quarter -finals
Of the four tournaments already played with Sierzputowski in his boxing, Cassone finished in the quarterfinals, and in the others he dropped twice after the first match and once after the second. – Two and a half weeks in Mexico for our start it was a very nice trip, even though there Murphy won only one game. It was good to be able to work in specific conditions. The first tournament took place there at an altitude of 2200 meters above sea level, and the second at 1900 meters. It is even higher than the infamous WTA Finals in Guadalajar [w 2021 roku z udziałem Świątek i prowadzącego ją Sierzputowskiego]when everyone emphasized how hard it is to get used to the conditions. Immediately after returning, we had a challenger on Mączka in Sarasot and it went poorly, but in the second tournament on the US flour in the US was a quarter -finals, so Murphy really catches quickly and I like how he works. He has very high potential, I like his playing style and what he is on the court. It is also important that we get along well. The player himself just said that we are already the sixth week away, and he passed so quickly that he did not even know when. For me it is a signal that he feels comfortable when traveling with me. I am similar with him – says Sierzputowski. – We will certainly not interfere with the work, and I even think that what we do and how we work can bring really cool results – he adds.
The trainer's plan is to work intensively and not forget about the space to catch your breath. – There is a lot of American support around the player and it is not that I will spend every week with him, because I think that for healthy relationships it makes no sense. But in the coming months we will definitely work a lot together, because now there is time playing in Europe. Later, I won't have to be in the USA every day, I won't have to spend there every week – explains Sierzputowski.