Iga Swiatek and Rafael Nadal (Photos by AP)
New Delhi: World number four Iga Swiatek has announced a coaching shake-up, bringing in Francisco Roig, who previously worked with Rafael Nadal. The 24-year-old shared the update on Instagram, writing: “Welcome to the team, Francisco! So excited for this new chapter.”The former world number one has publicly admitted to supporting the legendary Rafael Nadal.“You know, Rafa is my idol and the only person I watched play tennis when I was a kid. He was also kind enough to talk to me several times during his career and give me advice. He’s the person I can turn to if I need help or have a problem. Obviously having someone with that experience – the best, in fact – is a great opportunity, and I’ll take it if I can.”“Rafa is very open. He’s a great guy. Just having his number and being able to call him is a great honor. But honestly, whether he helps me or not, I would like to keep him between us, because he is part of this story. I don’t want to put him in an awkward situation,” Swiatek added.“This is a matter between us. I don’t want to go into details. It’s definitely not something someone like me would decide to do after one failure. I wouldn’t take such a decision lightly,” she said.
The move comes shortly after Swiatek parted ways with her former coach, Wim Fisset, after a disappointing second-round exit at the Miami Open. It was her first exit from the tournament in nearly three years, highlighting her decline in form.Swiatek has had an inconsistent performance this season, falling short in the majors. She was eliminated in the quarterfinals at the Australian Open, Qatar Open, and Indian Wells, raising concerns about her performance levels.The change of coach appears to be a response to these difficulties, as the former world number one looks to regain momentum and confidence ahead of the upcoming tournaments.Roig, 58, brings a wealth of experience, having spent years working closely with Nadal’s team alongside Toni Nadal and Carlos Moya. He also trained top players such as Emma Raducano, Matteo Berrettini and Giovanni Mpiche Pericard.With Roig joining her team, Swiatek hopes his experience will help her rediscover her best form and compete harder in the coming months.