Iga Świątek may be a dominant six-time Grand Slam champion on the court, but she remains a dedicated fangirl of Rafael Nadal at heart. A recently revealed behind-the-scenes anecdote shows that when it comes to the King of Clay, the Polish superstar’s own tightly packed schedule simply doesn’t matter.
How Iga Świątek Crafted the Perfect Postcard for Rafael Nadal
During a recent episode of Kim Clijsters’ “Love All” podcast, tennis reporter Blair Henley shared an interesting story from a “Compliments from Cincinnati” media segment. ATP and WTA players were asked to quickly write a complimentary postcard to a peer on the opposite tour. While most athletes jotted down standard pleasantries to check a promotional box, Świątek sat for 10 solid minutes, meticulously drafting the perfect note to Nadal.
Her PR team anxiously reminded her of her strict schedule and urged her to move on, but Świątek completely tuned them out. The Spanish legend retired in November 2024 with 22 Grand Slam titles, 92 career singles titles, and, for her, a rushed note to her GOAT wouldn’t simply do justice.
“At the end, she’s like, ‘You’re going to make sure he gets that, right?'” Henley recalled.
“I was like, ‘girl, we got you.’ So it’s really, truly somebody that she’s looked up to,” Henley added.
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While Nadal is now a year and a half into his well-deserved retirement, Świątek is actively building her own historic resume.
The former world No. 1 had a stellar 2025 campaign, adding a maiden Wimbledon title to her trophy cabinet, but things have not yet taken off well in 2026. She hasn’t reached the semifinals of any major singles tournament in the first quarter of 2026, which has led to a drop in her points and ranking from second to fourth.
That prompted her to shift her game strategy. She is currently training under none other than Nadal at his Rafa Nadal Academy, and she has appointed Francisco Roig as her new head coach.
When asked by reporters about Nadal’s role in helping her select his former coach, Roig, and whether Nadal would be in her box for the upcoming tournaments, Świątek offered only words of praise, keeping the details close to her chest.
“Rafa is my idol and actually the only person I watched playing tennis as a child,” Świątek said. “He’s someone I can turn to if I need help or have a problem to solve. Help from someone so experienced–in fact, the best, the GOAT–is obviously a wonderful opportunity and I’ll take advantage of it whenever I can… But to be honest, whether he helped me or not, I’d like to keep that between us, because he’s part of this story. I wouldn’t want to put him in an awkward position.”
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The tour officially transitions to the European dirt this spring, and Świątek’s next tournament is the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart, which begins around April 13, followed by the Madrid and Rome Masters.
Świątek will be looking to utilize her idol’s playbook as she prepares for her entry at Roland Garros, where she is an obvious favorite to capture her fifth French Open crown.
