Iga Swiatek hired Rafael Nadal’s former coach, Francisco Roig, ahead of the clay-court season.
But she may yet make another addition to her coaching team…
Give us your one wild prediction for Roland Garros!
Speaking to John McEnroe and Patrick McEnroe on ‘The MacZone’ after her latest win at the French Open, Swiatek revealed her plans.
Iga Swiatek is considering adding another coach to her team after speaking with Rafael Nadal
“I talked to him [Rafael Nadal], and he gave me some advice,” said Swiatek.
“I wanted to ask him about different systems of coaching, because I was also considering hiring two coaches.
“Maybe at some point throughout the season, I’m going to add one more coach to the team.
“At the beginning, I had doubts about that, but I knew that Rafa sometimes had three coaches, so I wanted to ask him how it is.”
Swiatek is considering hiring a second coach to work alongside Roig.
It’s unclear who she may bring into the team, but two names stand out.
Carlos Moya and Toni Nadal both worked together with Roig as part of Nadal’s coaching team.
They have a wealth of experience and would undoubtedly be a big help for Swiatek.
And the Pole wouldn’t be the only women’s player with multiple coaches, as the likes of Coco Gauff, Aryna Sabalenka, and Jessica Pegula all do the same.
- Coco Gauff – Gavin MacMillan and Jean-Christophe Faurel
- Aryna Sabalenka – Anton Dubrov, Jason Stacy, and Max Mirnyi
- Jessica Pegula – Mark Knowles and Mark Merklein
Swiatek could even ask Nadal himself to join her team, as she clearly trusts his judgement.
“We spoke a little bit about Francisco [Roig], and he only had positive things to speak about his coaching style,” she said.
“From what he said, it was exactly what I felt we needed.
“So we approached Francisco, and I was happy that he could join the team, because obviously, making a chance right before the clay season for me wasn’t easy.
“I had doubts if I was going to find a good coach so quickly.”
Since bringing Roig on board, Swiatek has reached the quarter-finals of the Stuttgart Open and the semi-finals of the Italian Open.
And she hasn’t made a bad start to the French Open either!
Iga Swiatek argues the heat helps her play better after reaching the fourth round of the French Open
Swiatek defeated Poland’s Magda Linette, 6-4, 6-4, in the third round of the French Open.
The McEnroe brothers asked Swiatek to share her thoughts on the match.
“It wasn’t an easy match, especially after Miami, which obviously was not good for me,” she said.
- 2026 Miami Open 2R – Magda Linette defeated Iga Swiatek, 1-6, 7-5, 6-3
“I knew I needed to bring my A-game and bring my intensity, and use my topspin.
“Magda [Linette] is a really solid player; she doesn’t have one particular thing that is worse, and yeah, I needed to be solid, to use my power, be precise, make her run, open the court…”
Iga Swiatek vs Magda Linette – Match stats
| Stats | Iga Swiatek | Magda Linette |
| Aces | 1 | 3 |
| Double faults | 2 | 1 |
| 1st Serve % | 60% | 58% |
| Win % on 1st Serve | 65% | 64% |
| Win % on 2nd Serve | 68% | 30% |
| Break points | 5/7 | 3/4 |
Swiatek later explained how the hot conditions in Paris suit her game.
“I feel like heat usually helps me because the ball bounces higher,” she said.
“Also at Wimbledon last year, it was so hot, it kind of destroyed the grass, which made it less like grass; it was more bouncy because of that. I felt like it was an advantage.
“And also Cincinnati last year, I felt like it was the biggest test we could have. It was so hot and so humid, crazy, no one expected that in Cincinnati.
“So, after that, I felt like, honestly, I can handle it and use it to my advantage.
“I would say here, the balls are pretty light, lighter than what we played in Madrid and Rome; you have to be careful not to do too much, because it’s easy to make mistakes and unforced errors.
“So this is something I need to adjust to, but physically I don’t feel like it’s bothering me.”
Swiatek may be disappointed to hear that the weather is set to cool in time for her fourth-round match.
The Pole will return to take on Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk in the last 16 on Sunday, May 31.
