Early Inspiration and Coaching Changes
Iga Swiatek, a six-time Grand Slam champion, had limited interest in tennis during her teenage years, with the notable exception of Rafael Nadal. She admired the Spanish player, who has won 22 major titles, and closely followed his career, becoming one of his most dedicated observers from afar. Nadal's influence is evident in the heavy topspin she generates with her forehand, a distinctive weapon on the women's tour that reflects the intensity she demands of herself on every point and her rapid rise to prominence before turning 23.
Swiatek's success eventually led to a friendly relationship with Nadal off the court. This connection culminated recently when she trained under Nadal at his academy in Mallorca, alongside her new full-time coach Francisco Roig, who served as Nadal's coach for 18 years.
Roig, known for his technical expertise, had worked with Swiatek until February. After ending a brief partnership with the young French player Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard, Roig began coaching Swiatek, one of the most accomplished champions of her era.
Despite her significant achievements, including 125 weeks as world No. 1 and six Grand Slam titles, Swiatek was unprepared for the experience of practicing with her idol. Reflecting on her first session, she said:
"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.’ But, honestly, it was my first days on site so I also gave myself space. He knows how it is, he had every possible experience probably on the court. So no one expected me to play perfectly."
Recent Challenges and Strategic Adjustments
The initial novelty of being coached by Nadal faded as Swiatek, who will turn 25 at the end of May, concentrated on the challenges ahead. This period has been difficult, especially following a disappointing second-round loss to Magda Linette at the Miami Open, which placed her at a career crossroads. She is set to begin her Madrid Open campaign on Thursday against Ukraine’s Daria Snigur.
Between 2022 and mid-2024, Swiatek dominated the tour, winning major titles and establishing herself as the leading player of her generation. However, the high standards she set motivated the rest of the tour to improve. The quality of the top 10 has risen significantly, led by Aryna Sabalenka’s transformation. Despite a ranking drop last year, Swiatek remains No. 4, a position she finds unsatisfactory. Consequently, she parted ways with her coach Wim Fissette last month.
After several weeks of training and discussions with Roig, Swiatek has spoken with unusual clarity about her future direction. She possesses some of the most powerful weapons in the game, including a destructive forehand, precise backhand, and relentless return pressure. Her victories have often depended on balancing offensive and defensive skills. Additionally, her athleticism allows her to control matches by forcing opponents to err. Recently, however, in tight matches against top players, she tended to panic and overpress, leading to self-inflicted errors. She now aims to regain the sensation of being a "wall" at the baseline, restoring the shot tolerance that once gave her many options.
"You need to have this feeling in your head that you’re not going to miss a ball,"
Swiatek believes her consistency declined because she focused too much on short shot patterns rather than extended rallies, a tendency she and Roig are working to correct.
Her serve has been a topic of discussion for years. While she has improved its pace, it remains her weakest shot. She has made several changes to her service motion but resisted adjusting her elbow placement until recently. At the Stuttgart Open last week, her first tournament under Roig, she finally modified her elbow position.
Technical Focus and Footwork Refinement
Videos of Nadal coaching Swiatek attracted attention, particularly regarding Nadal teaching her his signature lasso forehand. Swiatek clarified that Nadal's focus was more on her movement around the ball.
Swiatek has long been recognized for exceptional footwork on both tours. However, Nadal and Roig observed that she could sometimes be overly intense, taking excessive steps, moving too harshly, and striking balls off balance.
This perspective on footwork mirrors her broader approach to tennis recently. Her intensity, discipline, and effort have driven her success, but she acknowledges that sometimes trying too hard can be counterproductive.
"Totally. 100%. Last year, I was trying really hard and nothing really clicked. So, for sure, I was trying too hard, yeah. I felt like I wanted to be more ready and lower but that made me quite heavy on the ground. You need to find a balance. It is about smoothness and being fluid, adapting to different kinds of situations."
Mental Approach and Future Outlook
In recent months, Swiatek has focused on her mental approach, analyzing difficult results and her tendency to overthink both on and off the court. She now has a clear vision for her playing style and is determined to address technical issues with a coach well-suited to the task.
With the women's tour increasingly competitive, the path ahead is challenging. However, Swiatek's talent and past dominance have significantly raised the level of competition. She now faces the task of overcoming the very standards she helped establish.
