Iga Swiatek shares message with Rafael Nadal following training session in Spain

Iga Swiatek has been getting ready for the clay-court season at the Rafael Nadal Academy.

Following her decision to part ways with Wim Fissette, Swiatek brought in Francisco Roig, who previously worked with Rafael Nadal.

The three of them spent some time together in Mallorca, giving Swiatek a chance to learn from two of Spain’s most respected figures in tennis.

Iga Swiatek sends Rafael Nadal a message of gratitude after training stint in Spain

The Polish star was clearly appreciative of the opportunity to work with her idol at his academy.

“Training, learning and embracing each day here in Mallorca,” Swiatek said. “Thank you, Rafael Nadal, for making me feel at home.”

Roig’s close ties to Nadal might have played a part in why Swiatek decided to bring him on as her new coach.

The 58-year-old spent much of his career alongside Nadal and the two have remained close ever since.

This setup could give Swiatek regular access to both Roig and Nadal, effectively giving her double the insight.

Nadal is widely regarded as the greatest clay-court player ever. Few have come close to matching his dominance on the surface, but if anyone has shown signs of being able to do so, it’s Swiatek.

At 24, she already holds four French Open titles. While there’s still a long way to go before matching Nadal’s record 14 Roland Garros titles, it’s an impressive start.

And if she hopes to narrow that gap further, there may be no better mentors than Nadal and Roig.

After dropping down to world number four following a challenging year on tour, this could be exactly what Swiatek needs to reclaim her spot at the top of women’s tennis.

Iga Swiatek’s clay-court season could see her return to form

When she’s on her game, Iga Swiatek is the best clay-court player on the women’s tour.

But last season was a long way from her best, which might make this year an opportunity for her to remind everyone what she can do.

With fewer points to defend than some of her main competitors, there’s a path for Swiatek to close the gap on world number one Aryna Sabalenka—if she can recapture the form that brought her four French Open titles.

We’ll have to wait and see how she looks once play gets underway, but fans won’t have to wait long. Even though she pulled out of Poland’s Billie Jean King Cup tie against Ukraine, Swiatek is still expected to compete at the Stuttgart Open, where she’s already a two-time champion.

She reached only the quarter-finals there last year, so this time around, there’ll be plenty of eyes on how she starts 2026 under new coach Francisco Roig. Whether their partnership gets off to a winning start remains to be seen.

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