Iga Swiatek has been training with Rafael Nadal at his academy in Mallorca as she attempts to arrest a slide in form that has seen her drop to fourth in the world rankings. The six-time grand slam champion has brought in Francisco Roig, Nadal's former coach of 18 years, as her new full-time coach following her split with Wim Fissette last month.
Swiatek, who idolised Nadal as a teenager and modelled her heavy topspin forehand on his, admitted to feeling nervous during her first practice session with the 22-time major winner. "The first 15 minutes of practice, I was so tight," she said. "He knows how it is, he had every possible experience probably on the court."
The 24-year-old Pole has endured a difficult period, including a second-round exit to Magda Linette at the Miami Open. She believes her consistency has waned in recent years because she focused on shorter shot patterns rather than extended rallies, and is working with Roig to re-establish the shot tolerance that once made her so formidable.
Swiatek has also made a long-resisted adjustment to her service motion, changing her elbow placement, a change she first unveiled at last week's tournament in Stuttgart. She begins her Madrid Open campaign on Thursday against Ukraine's Daria Snigur.
