Iga Swiatek admits to supporting Rafael Nadal over Alexander Zverev in Roland Garros first round clash

Tennis fans will have only a few days before Roland Garros kicks off on May 26, 2024. One of the more intriguing first round matchups involves Alexander Zverev facing Rafael Nadal, an encounter that has many left undecided on a winner but not Iga Swiatek.

The WTA World No.1 has long expressed her admiration for 22-time Grand Slam champion Nadal. Swiatek has named the 14-time Roland Garros titlist as one of her idols, and has never shied away from openly stating her support for the Spaniard.

However, with Nadal battling injuries and in the twilight of his career, may fans believe Zverev will emerge victorious. Furthermore, Zverev seems to have rediscovered his form on clay, recently capturing the ATP Masters 1000 title in Rome last week. Nonetheless, this hasn't stopped Swiatek from rooting for the Spaniard's victory.

"I’m going to be rooting for Rafa, sorry Alex," said Swiatek. “Rafa's draw… I don't know. I don't know that much about Zverev's tennis to know how this match might look like. I mean, he's a great player… I don’t know if he's going to be rusty or not. It's the first round so you never know. l am not an expert.
"We'll see. I'm going to watch it more from a fan perspective than to analyze. So I just hope it's going to be entertaining. For sure it's a tough draw for Rafa, but I'm going to be kind of rooting for him. Sorry, Alex. We'll see."