Iga Swiatek, the six-time Grand Slam champion, is turning to Rafael Nadal's expertise as she seeks to reclaim the world No 1 ranking. The Polish star recently trained with Nadal at his academy in Mallorca, alongside her new coach Francisco Roig, a former longtime coach of the Spanish legend. Swiatek, who idolised Nadal as a teenager, admitted feeling nervous during their first practice session, saying: 'The first 15 minutes of practice, I was so tight. I was like: Oh my God, how should I play? He's watching, he's right there.'
Swiatek's decision to work with Roig and Nadal comes after a difficult period, including a second-round loss at the Miami Open to Magda Linette. She parted ways with coach Wim Fissette last month and now sits at world No 4, a position she considers insufficient given her calibre. The 24-year-old believes she must rediscover her consistency and 'shot tolerance' after her game became too focused on short patterns. 'You need to have this feeling in your head that you're not going to miss a ball,' she said.
Swiatek has also adjusted her serve, a long-standing weakness, by changing her elbow placement. She debuted the new motion at the Stuttgart Open. As she prepares for the Madrid Open starting Thursday against Ukraine's Daria Snigur, Swiatek is aiming to regain the form that saw her dominate from 2022 to mid-2024. Her time with Nadal has provided fresh perspective, with the 39-year-old's experience helping her focus on the challenges ahead.
