The European clay-court season always brings high stakes, but few expected the latest headline to emerge from the coaching box. At the Italian Open in Rome, Francis Roig, the newly appointed coach for Iga Świątek, suffered a severe injury during a routine training session. However, Roig has decided to grit his teeth and continue coaching Świątek from the sidelines.
Iga Świątek Continues Italian Open Run Despite Coach Francis Roig’s Injury
On Thursday, the veteran Spanish coach was seen walking on crutches and with a leg in a cast while coaching Świątek. Medical assessments confirmed a torn Achilles tendon, which typically requires immediate surgery and months of rest.
Treningowo a trener w nogą w gipsie😔 dużo zdrówka trenerze♥️
Francisco Roig doznał zerwania ścięgna Achillesa podczas jednego z treningów w Rzymie. pic.twitter.com/4Yq6uhMYrm— Michaśka🇪🇺 (@Miki29144352964) May 7, 2026
His refusal to step away shows just how vital this transitional period is for the Polish star as the former world No. 1 aims to return to the top of the game during the clay-court season. Meanwhile, the Pole had posted her practice schedule with a friendly banter a few days ago on her Instagram stories: “It’s going to be a serious competition against my coach more athan a practice (laughing emoji) Wait for it.” And fans online are interpreting the irony with dark humor.
Roig is best known for being a core part of Rafael Nadal’s coaching team for 17 years. He helped Nadal win 22 Grand Slam titles and build his historic record on clay courts.
In April 2026, following in the footsteps of her idol, Świątek hired Roig after a tough start to the year, during which she failed to reach a single final during the early hardcourt swing, suffering disappointing losses at the Australian Open, Indian Wells, and Miami, even dropping out of the top 3. Looking for a fresh tactical direction, she split with her previous coach, Wim Fissette, and brought Roig onto her team.
Before the clay season started, Świątek trained with Roig for 10 days at the Rafa Nadal Academy in Mallorca. Rafael Nadal even joined them for two days to share his experience and help her mentally reset.
“I’m really happy to start with Francis,” Świątek told the press in April. “It’s going really amazing. It’s a start. We’re still getting to know to each other. It was honestly a pretty fast process. I was able to find a new coach pretty fast, which is a positive thing because obviously when you do that in the middle of the season, it’s nice to have some security in that, so I could already have some even practice period with Francis in Mallorca.”
Before joining Świątek, Roig coached Emma Raducanu. They worked together for six months but split shortly after Raducanu lost in the second round of the 2026 Australian Open.
In March, Raducanu explained how Roig had decided to end the partnership. She noted they had an honest conversation where Roig told her, “Look, I don’t think this is going in the way we both want it to.”
Świątek’s run at the 2026 Mutua Madrid Open was cut shorter than expected. She advanced to the Round of 32 before withdrawing in the deciding third set, while trailing 0-3, due to a stomach virus, ending her tournament.
Now, in Rome, despite the injury to her coach, Świątek’s hopes on clay remain sky-high as she will face Caty McNally in the Round of 64 on Friday at 5 a.m. ET.
