Iga Świątek triggered panic among her rivals when she arranged an intense training block at Rafael Nadal’s academy in Mallorca ahead of the 2026 clay swing. Her move prompted reactions from Jessica Pegula and Madison Keys, who joked that the Spaniard’s involvement should be “illegal.”
The Pole also hired a new coach, Francisco Roig, who mentored Nadal for 18 years. The new collaboration created a massive buzz online. Świątek has now detailed her preliminary preparations with Roig ahead of the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart.
Iga Świątek Planned Her Rafael Nadal Academy Move Well in Advance
Świątek announced her split from Wim Fissette after a forgettable run at the Miami Open, which ended with an opening-match loss to her compatriot Magda Linette. She clarified, however, that she didn’t base her decision on one loss. Świątek wasn’t feeling her game on court since her run in Doha.
Amid the uncertainty over her future with Fissette, the Pole had already opted for the Rafa Nadal Academy to train for the clay season. During her press conference in Stuttgart, she said, “My idea of coming to the academy appeared, like, two months ago. I wanted to change something in my preparation before clay, because obviously last clay season didn’t really go out how I planned.”
Świątek, known for her mastery of the red dirt, failed to win a single title during last year’s clay swing. Her campaign featured semifinal runs in Madrid and Paris, a quarterfinal run in Stuttgart, and a third-round exit in Rome.
Having visited her idol’s Mallorca facility before, the player deemed it perfect for practicing “without distractions.” Although she had made a request, she didn’t expect Nadal to take charge of her training block. Świątek was spotted receiving tips from the 14-time French Open champion during her stay.
“I knew I was going to do a solid work there without any other distractions. I asked if it would be possible for him (Nadal) to come and maybe be some kind of inspiration, also hear some feedback from him. It was really a privilege to have him on the court.”
“I honestly didn’t have many expectations because I know he’s super busy and he has a lot of stuff to do, even though he always has different projects and everything,” she said.
MORE: Iga Świątek Training With Rafael Nadal ‘Should be Illegal,’ Jessica Pegula Jokes
Roig also joined the duo after their partnership was made public. He had a brief stint with French player Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard after leaving Emma Raducanu’s camp in January.
“Since then, I realized that I’m going to have this new coach situation. I also wanted to meet Francisco. I’m happy that they were there at the same time because it also adds even more value to the process,” Iga Świątek said about her new hire.
“I will continue with Francisco. He will be the person that takes care of the whole process. That’s the plan for now, and no other plans right now,” she confirmed.
For Świątek, Roig was a carefully planned choice, given his extensive experience with the greatest claycourter of all time. “The process of changing coaches is for me always kind of tricky because I only did that twice in my life. So yeah, not easy decisions.”
“I’m really happy to start with Francis. I was basically looking for someone with a good eye, really technical, but also a person that is experienced enough to help me through some different kind of situations. I feel like Francisco lived through everything probably on tour,” she said.
Roig has accompanied Świątek to Stuttgart for their first tournament together. The Pole is the third seed and has received a bye in the first round. She begins her pursuit of a third Porsche Tennis Grand Prix title against the winner of Laura Siegemund vs. Viktoriya Tomova.
