Iga Swiatek came through her opening match of the Women’s Stuttgart Open against Laura Siegemund.
In a potential banana skin, Swiatek defeated the home favourite in straight sets to begin with a win under new coach Francisco Roig.
Swiatek has made changes under Roig, but she looked solid enough as she returned to winning ways for the first time since Indian Wells.
After picking up the victory in Stuttgart, Swiatek revealed more details about her time working with Rafael Nadal at his academy.
Iga Swiatek opens up about working with ‘strict’ Rafael Nadal
After splitting with Wim Fissette following the Miami Open, Swiatek went to train at the Nadal’s academy in Mallorca.
Swiatek is a long-time Nadal fan and he gave the star hands-on advice as she looked to transition from Fissette to Roig.
How many Grand Slam titles will Iga Swiatek win with Francisco Roig as her coach?
She's signed one of the best coaches on tour!
Speaking on-court after the match, Swiatek shared what Nadal was like as a coach during their time together.
“I feel like the dynamics were kind of unusual, because Francisco was his coach obviously . I feel he also let him coach me. But from time to time he was giving his tips. I’d say pretty chill?,” she said.
“No but he was motivating in a positive way. I’d say chill but on the other hand strict. Honestly it’s Rafa. No matter what he’s gonna say, you’re gonna do it 100%.
“You know his intensity. Having him on the court you want to show him the same kind of vibe. Just him being there obviously did the job.”
“With Rafa, it was just a privilege. Really inspiring time. I always am super motivated before coming on clay, but having him on the court was like an extra crazy boost of motivation. I don’t think I ever spent so much time on court as I did in Mallorca. It was really a week full of grind and hard work.”
Nadal is yet to become a full-time coach since retiring from tennis in 2024, although he works with several up-and-coming stars at his academy.
Iga Swiatek shares her feelings on her new coach Francisco Roig
Roig opted to work with Swiatek after short stints this year with Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard and Emma Raducanu, and the Pole has been happy with their collaboration so far.
Swiatek has been learning new things under the Spanish coach and she’s delighted with her new progress.
Does Iga Swiatek now win the French Open after changing coaches? 🤔
Let us know your reasoning in the comments ⬇️
“Even though I’m an experienced player, it’s still a new thing for me. I haven’t changed coaches often in my career,” she explained.
“But it’s always exciting because you get to know different points of view of a person that’s supposed to be with you every day on court. You need to be open minded and try to soak in this new approach and everything. With Francisco, we have a similar view of how I should play.
“The other thing is actually doing it on court so this will take a little more time. The idea is there. The attitude and work is there.”
Swiatek has won the Women’s Stuttgart Open on two occasions, in 2022 and 2023, but she will have to beat a bumper field to lift the trophy this year.
This year’s event features Coco Gauff, Elena Rybakina, Elina Svitolina, and Mirra Andreeva, which is incredibly strong for a WTA 500 event.
