Iga Swiatek reveals surprising Rafael Nadal advice amid growing Roland Garros challenge from Marta Kostyuk | International Sports News
Iga Swiatek is moving forward at Roland Garros once again. The four-time French Open champion booked her place in the fourth round on Friday after beating fellow Polish player Magda Linette 6-4, 6-4 in Paris. The win also gave Swiatek a small measure of revenge after Linette defeated her earlier this season at the Miami Open. The victory was Swiatek’s third straight win at this year’s tournament and kept alive her hopes of adding another Roland Garros title to her collection. Next, she will face Marta Kostyuk, who arrived in the fourth round after defeating Viktorija Golubic in straight sets and extending her clay-court winning streak. After her latest win, however, Swiatek was not only talking about tennis. Instead, she shared how lessons from Rafael Nadal have helped her deal with difficult moments and stay focused during matches. Nadal, who won Roland Garros a record 14 times, spent time working with Swiatek earlier this year, and she says those conversations continue to help her on court.
Iga Swiatek says Rafael Nadal’s advice and mindset continue to help her at Roland Garros
Speaking after her victory over Magda Linette, Swiatek explained that Nadal’s biggest influence was not just technical advice. “There was some technical tips, but the most you can take from Rafa actually is his approach to the game and also him showing it’s not always easy,” Swiatek said.“It’s like on TV when he lifts his trophy, there’s a lot behind the scenes. Even the best players in the world sometimes struggle. He used to get over it and work on this stuff and never give up.“Rafa is the perfect example of that and he could also share some stories with me, which is amazing because he’s really open to give advice and I really appreciate it.”Swiatek began working closely with former Nadal coach Francisco Roig at the start of the clay-court season. The partnership started after her coaching relationship with Wim Fissette came to an end. Roig was part of Nadal’s team during many of the Spaniard’s biggest successes and has also worked with Emma Raducanu and Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard.So far, Swiatek and Roig have worked together during tournaments in Stuttgart, Madrid and Rome. Although she has not won a title since the partnership began, her performances in Paris suggest she is finding confidence at the right time. Roland Garros has been one of the most successful tournaments of Swiatek’s career. She lifted the trophy in 2020 and then won three straight titles from 2022 through 2024. Over the last several years, very few players have managed to stop her in Paris.Now, with another fourth-round appearance secured, Swiatek remains one of the strongest contenders for the title. Her next challenge against Marta Kostyuk is expected to be much tougher, but the lessons she learned from Rafael Nadal may continue to help her as the tournament moves into its biggest stages.
