Swiatek Hires Ex-Nadal Coach Roig as New Coach
By Richard Pagliaro | Thursday, April 2, 2026
Photo credits: Cincinnati Open Facebook
Iga Swiatek is returning to her red clay roots with her new coaching hire.
Former world No. 1 Swiatek has hired Francisco Roig, Rafa Nadal’s ex coach, as her new coach, she announced today on social media.
World No. 4 Swiatek split with coach Wim Fissette after losing to Magda Linette in her Miami Open opener.
Swiatek has been training at the Rafa Nadal Academy in Mallorca and reportedly sought the King of Clay’s advice before hiring Roig, according to the Polish sports publication Sport.pl.
“It’s well known—Rafa is my idol and basically the only person I watched playing tennis as a child,” Swiatek said. “He was also kind enough to talk to me several times during his career and give me tips. He is someone I can turn to if I need help or have a problem to solve.
“Getting help from someone so experienced—essentially the best, the GOAT—is obviously a wonderful opportunity, and I will take it whenever I can. Rafa is very open. He’s a great person. The mere fact that I have his number and can contact him is a great honor for me. But honestly, whether he helped me [with the coach choice] or not, I’d like to keep that between us because he is part of that story. I wouldn’t want to put him in an awkward position.”
The 57-year-old Roig was a long-time coaching member of Nadal’s team. Roig later coached Matteo Berrettini and has experience coaching on the WTA Tour as well. Roig, who reached a career-high rank of No. 60 on the ATP Tour, also coached 2017 US Open champion Sloane Stephens. Most recently, Roig coached Emma Raducanu, a partnership that ended after the Australian Open in January, and Frenchman Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard.
Swiatek said she’s aiming to return to the Imposing Iga style of play she displayed capturing four Roland Garros championships. Swiatek seeks that oppressive baseline play where she drains errors from opponents.
“I want to go back to solid foundations and feel like a wall on the court again—making no mistakes and forcing my opponents to make them. I’ve always had that,” Swiatek told the Polish sports publication Sport.pl. “It was my advantage—I exerted pressure on the court, and it gave me the upper hand. I feel that tennis gives me the most pleasure when I am solid. When I’m not, I take unnecessary risks and make many more errors.
“I want to return to that solidity. But that requires work on the court. If someone doesn’t feel comfortable on the court, they should just work harder. There are also moments when everything starts to click—that’s when you can introduce new elements and learn new skills.”
Post Comment