After a disappointing start to 2016 that has seen her fall out of the top 40, Sabine Lisicki has decided to pull the plug on her professional relationship with coach Christopher Kas, whom she had worked with for the past one and a half years.
Lisicki Announces Split on Social Media
In a post published Sunday in both German and English, Lisicki announced her split with Kas, thanking him for all of his work and support during their partnership. "It's been a very intense couple of years, I thank him for all the work and support through this time and wish him all the best for the future!" wrote Lisicki on her Facebook page.
In addition to her coaching change, the German announced this would be the first of many changes professionally over the course of the next few weeks. "A new chapter starts right now," she wrote. "This means I will soon be represented by a new management and I will have a new coach by my side."
Looking Back at Lisicki and Kas' Partnership
After partnering up for the first time at the Olympics, where they placed fourth in the mixed doubles competition, Lisicki decided to partner up with Kas after going through multiple coaches, including Wim Fissette, who coached her to her maiden Grand Slam final at Wimbledon in 2013.
Despite never tasting championship success in their partnership, Lisicki did have multiple highlights under the tutelage of Kas--all of which came last season. Together, Lisicki reached a pair of semifinals in Indian Wells and Birmingham, one quarterfinal in Miami and a last 16 finish at last year's U.S. Open, her best showing at a slam during their partnership, where she fell to eventual semi finalist Simona Halep.
But ever since the German prematurely ended her 2015 season in order to rehabilitate a knee injury, Lisicki has yet to find top gear, winning just 6 of the 15 matches she's played this season, and that could be one of the many reasons behind the split.