Iga Swiatek posts first message after Francisco Roig joins as her new coach

Iga Swiatek has brought in Spaniard Francisco Roig to join her coaching setup following her split with Wim Fissette.

The 17-month partnership with Fissette ended in March, about eight months after Swiatek claimed her first Wimbledon title.

Roig, who previously worked as an alternate coach for Rafael Nadal, has most recently been involved with ATP player Giovanni Mpetshi-Perricard.

Before that role, Roig spent time coaching former US Open champion Emma Raducanu, though their collaboration came to an end in January after just five months together.

Iga Swiatek shares message after hiring Francisco Roig

Swiatek is reported to have already begun training with Roig in Spain, and she later took to Instagram to share a photo of the two standing together on a clay court. The post was captioned: “Welcome to the team, Francisco! Very excited for this new chapter.”

Roig’s coaching background includes time with Emma Raducanu – from June 2023 until January 2024 – as well as working alongside Rafael Nadal during the latter part of his playing days.

Swiatek is looking to bounce back from a tough start to the year, which has included several early exits. She recently called her defeat to Magda Linette in Miami her “worst nightmare”.

Now, with Roig on board and the clay-court season underway, there’s hope that this new partnership can help turn things around.

Why Francisco Roig is a smart addition to Iga Swiatek’s team

Francisco Roig brings a ton of knowledge and experience with him, and there’s no doubt Swiatek will benefit from his presence.

The Spaniard built up a wealth of expertise during his 17-year stint with Rafael Nadal, starting back when Nadal was just 18 years old. He left the team in 2022 but stayed close to the sport.

Nadal spoke highly of Roig after he left, posting a message on Instagram that read: “I want to inform you that Francis Roig is leaving my team and starting a new personal project as a coach… He started joining the team and worked with us together with my Uncle Toni and later with Carlos Moyá and recently Marc López.”

“Francis has been an important person in my career and I am very grateful to him for all these years of work and friendship,” he added. “When we started working together I was a child and together with my Uncle Toni, we started on the circuit.

“Francis is a great coach who knows tennis very well and has helped me a lot to get better and better. I only have words of gratitude, and I wish him all the luck in the world in his new project!”

Swiatek, much like Nadal, has always looked most comfortable on clay courts. With four French Open titles already under her belt by age 24, she’s already carved out an impressive legacy on this surface.

If she adds another Roland Garros crown in June, it wouldn’t come as much of a surprise – especially now that she has someone like Roig helping guide her game.

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