After parting ways with her former coach, Wim Fissette, six-time Grand Slam champion Iga Świątek hired Francisco Roig, Emma Raducanu’s former coach. The Polish icon is currently preparing for the ongoing clay season and was recently spotted with legendary Spaniard Rafael Nadal, who was also coached by Roig.
This caught the attention of the WTA Tour, especially Jessica Pegula and Madison Keys, who shared their thoughts on the iconic sighting.
How Jessica Pegula and Madison Keys Reacted to Iga Świątek Practicing With Rafael Nadal
Since the appointment of Spanish coach Roig, the entire tennis world has had its eyes on the Polish star. Given her clay prowess and the Spaniard’s certified clay mastery, this duo is expected to completely dominate the clay season, with Świątek potentially lifting multiple titles throughout the swing and possibly even lifting a fifth Roland Garros title.
To add fuel to the fire, the Pole was recently spotted training with the legendary Rafa himself, who has dominated clay like no one else. As soon as the clips went online, the internet and social media exploded with fans and many top stars reacting to this highly explosive duo.
Among them were Pegula and Keys, two of the top American stars on the WTA Tour, who can potentially face Świątek in the next few months. Speaking on the latest episode of “Player’s Box Podcast,” the world No. 5 said:
“I feel like it’s perfect for Iga, though. I saw the clip of them on the clay, and I was like, ‘Ugh, this is bad for everybody.’ I was like, ‘This should be illegal; why is this happening.'”
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This unfiltered, honest take from the American shows just how dangerous Świątek can become if she continues to train under Roig and Nadal. Keys supported Pegula, adding, “I know I was, like, ‘Oh God. The last thing we needed Iga to have on the clay was Rafa. No, that’s not allowed.'”
Desirae Krawczyk and Jennifer Brady, fellow Americans and co-hosts of the podcast, shared similar feelings, adding that the version of Świątek that steps foot on the court in the upcoming tournaments could be the most fatal one the WTA Tour has ever witnessed.
— Out of Context Iga Świątek (@SwiatekOOC) April 7, 2026
This humorous, fearful feeling among top stars such as Pegula and Keys proves that, even without the assistance of Nadal or Roig, Świątek was already dominating the surface; now, with the addition of these two legends, the tennis world isn’t ready for her.
Just How Dangerous Is Świątek on Clay?
To put things into perspective, let’s start with the biggest clay-court tournament, Roland Garros. Świątek made her debut at the event back in 2019, where she was eliminated in the fourth round by defending champion Simona Halep. This isn’t a bad debut performance at all for a player, but what makes it terrifying is the fact that this is still her earliest exit at the tournament since then.
The very next year, the Pole returned with determination and took revenge against the top seed, Halep, ending her 17-match win streak and defeating Sofia Kenin to become the lowest-ranked Roland Garros women’s singles champion in WTA history.
Unfortunately, the very next year, she was stunned by Greek star Maria Sakkari in the quarterfinals before she returned in 2022 to lift the title for the second time, defeating American Coco Gauff.
In 2023, she defeated Karolína Muchová in the final to retain her title before defeating Italian Jasmine Paolini in the 2024 final to become a four-time Roland Garros champion. Apart from the Grand Slam titles, Świątek also won the Madrid Open in 2024 in a rematch of the previous year’s final, which Aryna Sabalenka won. The Pole has also won the Italian Open three times, showcasing her clay prowess.
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Interestingly, in September 2025, Techland, a Polish game development company, released a survival-horror game, Dying Light: The Beast. In this game, the developers paid tribute to their national star by featuring her racket in one of the buildings. What’s more interesting is the fact that once the player picks up the racket, the description says it all:
“Queen of the clay, killer on the grass,” referring to her clay dominance and nodding towards her dominant performance at Wimbledon last year, where she lifted the title without dropping a single set and scored a double bagel in the final against American Amanda Anisimova.
As of now, the Polish icon is on a break following the conclusion of the disappointing hard-court season and will be returning soon to the clay courts with renewed confidence, looking to assert her dominance back on the WTA Tour.
IGA WE WILL SUPORT YOU FOREVER POLISH QUEEN