“We spoke about his experiences”: Iga Swiatek details Nadal influence during clay-court preparation block

Iga Swiatek’s Roland Garros campaign continued with another controlled straight-sets win, but the central reference point in her post-match analysis was not her opponent or the scoreline, but Rafael Nadal. The Polish player repeatedly returned to her recent training block at the Rafa Nadal Academy as a defining element of her clay-court preparation.

The four-time French Open champion defeated Magda Linette 6-4, 6-4 to reach the fourth round without dropping a set in Paris 2026. The result extended her long-standing dominance at Roland Garros, where she has built one of the strongest records in modern tennis.

Swiatek’s current run has also included wins over Emerson Jones and Sara Bejlek, maintaining a clean progression through the opening rounds. Across eight appearances in Paris, she now holds a 43–3 record and has never been eliminated in the first week.

But the dominant theme of her press conference was the influence of Nadal’s environment and advice during her preparation phase.

Swiatek directly connected her current level in Paris to her training period at the Rafa Nadal Academy, describing it as one of the most demanding and valuable weeks of her season. She highlighted both the intensity of the work and Nadal’s direct presence on court during sessions.

She also framed the experience as a combination of technical reinforcement and broader competitive learning, particularly through conversations about Nadal’s own career experiences on clay. “It was great. It gave me a lot of motivation and energy before the clay-court swing. It was a really good week, probably the most intense week of practice I had lately."

"Rafa was there for two practices, which I really appreciated. It was a huge honour to have him on court. He gave me some technical tips, but most of all we spoke about his experiences. It was really nice to see how open he is to giving advice.”

That influence, she suggested, has carried into her match play in Paris, particularly in how she constructs points and manages momentum over longer exchanges. The emphasis has shifted towards stability rather than immediate aggression.

Beyond the Nadal factor, Swiatek addressed her own technical and mental adjustments this season, particularly her decision-making process under pressure. She linked recent improvements to structured work with her coaching team after an inconsistent hard-court swing earlier in the year.

She described a clearer separation between instinct and control, with a stronger emphasis on patience in rallies rather than forcing early conclusions. “Well, for sure this is something that I wanted to improve because I was not in a good place tennis-wise. It was hard to play with my intuition on the hardcourt season this year."

So I feel like we focused a lot on that with Francisco at the beginning. Also for me to not be rushed into decisions because I feel like I'm going to miss or something. So I feel much more solid. That gives me confidence that I can play the next ball back and the next ball back. I don't need to finish the rally straight away.”

She also acknowledged that conditions in Paris remain variable, which continues to influence tactical execution, particularly when temperature shifts affect ball speed and spin. “For most of the time I make good decisions and kind of rational ones."

"There are moments where I go for it, especially in this weather, maybe a bit too much. But we'll see how it's going to change with the conditions. I think we'll need to put more energy into the ball for it to fly.”

Swiatek’s win over Linette further extended a historically dominant record at Roland Garros. She now holds a 43–3 career record in Paris and has reached the second week in every appearance at the tournament, maintaining full consistency across eight editions.

Her 2026 campaign has so far been controlled, with straight-sets victories over Emerson Jones, Sara Bejlek and Linette, without dropping a set. The next test comes against 15th seed Marta Kostyuk, who arrives in strong form with a 15-match winning streak. Kostyuk claimed back-to-back titles in Rouen and Madrid, positioning her as one of the most in-form players remaining in the draw.

Swiatek acknowledged the need for adaptation in changing conditions but maintained that both players face the same external variables. “We'll see about the temperature and about the tension of the rackets. But for sure, the game will look a bit differently. We will need to adjust that day. Both players have the same situation.”