"I asked if it would be possible for him to come and maybe be some kind of inspiration": Iga Swiatek long had idea to ask Rafael Nadal for recent support
WTAMonday, 13 April 2026 at 23:30
Iga Swiatek has endured a tough time on court with the Pole having to turn to a new coach in the form of former Rafael Nadal mentor and recently both Emma Raducanu and Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard in Francisco Roig.
Of course though it was in fact Nadal that he is most known for with the Spaniard training with Swiatek for the first time during a recent training block in Mallorca at the Rafael Nadal Academy. Swiatek's first acid test with Roig will be this week's Porsche Tennis Grand Prix (Stuttgart Open) where she has frequently won the title in the past.
She discussed the process of changing coaches with the media and that he will take part of the whole procss in her game.
"Yeah, I mean, the process of changing coaches is for me always kind of tricky because I only did that twice in my life. So yeah, not easy decisions," said Swiatek in her press conference in Stuttgart.
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"I'm really happy to start with Francis. I was basically looking for someone with a good eye, really technical, but also a person that is experienced enough to help me through some different kind of situations. I feel like Francisco lived through everything probably on tour.
"Yeah, for now it's going really amazing. It's a start. We're still getting to know to each other. Yeah, I'm really excited. It was honestly a pretty fast process. I was able to find a new coach pretty fast, which is a positive thing because obviously when you do that in the middle of the season, it's nice to have some security in that, so I could already have some even practice period with Francis in Mallorca. It was really nice."
Nadal visit always part of the process
She was spotted training with Rafael Nadal who showed her some of her best shots on court and she said it was always part of the thought process.
"My idea of coming to the academy appeared, like, two months ago. I wanted to change something in my preparation before clay, because obviously last clay season didn't really go out how I planned. I wanted to go to Mallorca because I knew the facilities there, I knew the court. I knew I was going to do a solid work there without any other distractions.
"Yeah, I asked if it would be possible for him to come and maybe be some kind of inspiration, also hear some feedback from him. It was really a privilege to have him on the court.
Iga Swiatek at the 2025 US Open
"I honestly didn't have many expectations because I know he's super busy and he has a lot of stuff to do, even though he always has different projects and everything. It's a real privilege. I was really honored he was able to be there these couple days.
"Since then, I realized that I'm going to have this new coach situation. I also wanted to meet Francisco. I'm happy that they were there at the same time because it also adds even more value I think to the process.
"But now I will continue with Francisco. He will be the person that takes care of the whole process. That's the plan for now, and no other plans right now."
She also discussed the harsh treatment she has got at times from the Polish media and how she wanted to make the change clear to firm up any rumours from Caroline Wozniacki's dad to now Roig before he was confirmed.
No, it was more for Polish media, which was super harsh to the whole team. There were a lot of, like, speculations. With one sentence I can basically cut them. I just did that.
In sports, if you want to go forward, obviously loyalty is great, but if something is not working, you need to react 'cause our careers are not long, you know? We don't have time to waste time.
Yeah, the work that I'm doing with Maciej and Daria, also me playing with my hitting partner for many, many years, I feel like it's working and it's a good process. So that's why I'm not changing the rest of the team.
In Poland, it was super chaotic with media, so I just wanted to get it out clear so fans can also know what's going on.
Samuel GillEditor-in-Chief
Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of TennisUpToDate.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces across the TennisUpToDate network, playing a central role in the daily operation and development of the site.
Based in Leicester, Samuel has a broad background in tennis media. In his current role, he works closely with editors and writers to ensure coverage meets clear journalistic standards, with particular attention to verification, consistency, and timely updates when new information becomes available.
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