Iga Swiatek hired Francisco Roig as her new coach ahead of the clay-court season.
They trained together at the Rafael Nadal Academy in Manacor, before travelling to Germany for the Stuttgart Open.
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Speaking to the media ahead of the Stuttgart Open, Swiatek shared the changes she’s made to her game since hiring Roig.
Iga Swiatek says she has changed her service motion and worked on her baseline game since changing coaches
During an interview with Eurosport, Swiatek was asked about her training sessions with Roig.
“We focused more on the baseline game, but the serve is something that I’ve been changing quite a lot in my life,” she said.
“I’ve got to say, I didn’t really feel comfortable with the last movement that I had.
“I was thinking, should I make the change right now in the middle of the season or wait?
“But honestly, if you feel uncomfortable with something, you can’t really continue if you’re not 100% in your head, committed to it.
“So I changed the movement to get my elbow in the back a little bit more bent, which can give me, I think, more speed and more dynamics later on.”
Swiatek has never been the biggest server on tour, but her numbers this year leave a lot to be desired.
Iga Swiatek’s serving stats in 2026
- Aces – 56 (28th on WTA Tour)
- 1st Serve % – 62.2% (114th on WTA Tour)
- 1st Serve points % – 67% (38th on WTA Tour)
- 2nd Serve % – 50.9% (22nd on WTA Tour)
- Serve points won % – 60.9% (23rd on WTA Tour)
- Break points saved % – 60.2% (33rd on WTA Tour)
- Serve games won % – 71.7% (34th on WTA Tour)
The Pole doesn’t rank inside the top 20 for any of the seven key serving metrics.
She’ll be hoping her new technique improves those numbers, but is aware the change won’t happen overnight.
“Obviously, now, it’s a new thing, so it needs some time to get automatic,” said Swiatek.
“I still need to think about the motion a little bit, but it’s normal. If you served one way for months, and then you’re serving the other way only for two weeks, you need to be patient.
“But I think it’s a positive technical change; I’ve been hearing about the elbow being more bent from many coaches, even before. Now I feel like time is passing, and it will be good to find a movement that actually gives me that!”
Fans won’t have to wait long to see Swiatek’s new serve in action, as she gears up for a return to tennis in Stuttgart.
Who will Iga Swiatek play at the Stuttgart Open?
Receiving a bye into the second round, Swiatek will play the home favourite, Laura Siegemund.
Swiatek has won their two previous meetings, dropping just seven games.
- 2023 Warsaw F – Iga Swiatek defeated Laura Siegemund, 6-0, 6-1
- 2021 Madrid Open 2R – Iga Swiatek defeated Laura Siegemund, 6-3, 6-3
Assuming she avoids the upset, Swiatek is likely to meet Russia’s Mirra Andreeva in the quarter-finals.
Iga Swiatek’s Stuttgart Open draw
| Round | Highest-ranked potential opponent | Potential seeded opponents |
| 1R (Bye) | – | – |
| 2R | Laura Siegemund (51) | – |
| QF | Mirra Andreeva (9) | [6] Mirra Andreeva |
| SF | Elena Rybakina (2) | [1] Elena Rybakina, [5] Jasmine Paolini |
| F | Coco Gauff (3) | [2] Coco Gauff, [4] Elina Svitolina, [7] Karolina Muchova, [8] Ekaterina Alexandrova |
Andreeva won another WTA title last week, defeating Anastasia Potapova in the Linz Open final.
The teenager is in good form, and Swiatek will need to be at her best to reach the last four.
If Swiatek can take down Andreeva, she could play the world number two and top seed, Elena Rybakina, in the semi-finals.
Rybakina won the Australian Open in January and has been one of the best players on tour this year.
She is also a former Stuttgart Open champion, defeating Swiatek en route to the 2024 title.
Given the form of the two players, you’d back Rybakina to beat Swiatek should they meet in the semis.
Swiatek will be keen to cause an upset in her first tournament with Roig as her coach, though, and should never be counted out, especially on the clay.
The likes of Coco Gauff and Elina Svitolina could then await Swiatek in the final if she were to knock out the top seed in the semis.
She won’t want to get ahead of herself, though, and will now turn her attentions to the second round and a clash with the German.
Swiatek and Siegemund will battle it out for a place in the Stuttgart Open quarter-finals on Wednesday, April 15.
