{"id":1893965,"date":"2026-04-21T09:30:47","date_gmt":"2026-04-21T06:30:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1893965"},"modified":"2026-04-21T09:30:47","modified_gmt":"2026-04-21T06:30:47","slug":"iga-swiatek-reveals-she-was-so-tight-while-training-under-rafael-nadals-watchful-eye","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1893965","title":{"rendered":"Iga Swiatek reveals she &#8216;was so tight&#8217; while training under Rafael Nadal&#8217;s watchful eye"},"content":{"rendered":"<article class=\"ps-article-content rounded-lg lg:mt-5 lg:border lg:border-card lg:bg-card lg:shadow-primary\">\n<header>\n<h1 class=\"py-4 text-xl font-normal text-title sm:text-2xl\">Iga Swiatek reveals she \u2018was so tight\u2019 while training under Rafael Nadal\u2019s watchful eye<\/h1>\n<div class=\"my-2 flex items-center justify-between\">\n<div class=\"flex items-center\">\n                        <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/author\/shahidaj\" class=\"text-sm font-normal !text-author\"><br \/>\n                            Shahida Jacobs                        <\/a><br \/>\n                        <time class=\"ml-3 text-sm font-normal text-info md:ml-4\" datetime=\"21 Apr 2026 10:30 AM\" data-ps-date=\"21 Apr 2026 10:30 AM\" data-ps-datetime=\"1776763847\"><br \/>\n                            21 Apr 2026 10:30 AM                        <\/time>\n                    <\/div>\n<div class=\"hidden justify-end space-x-4 text-xl sm:flex sm:!opacity-100\">\n                        <a href=\"https:\/\/google.com\/preferences\/source?q=tennis365.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\"><br \/>\n                            <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"mx-auto !my-0 hidden dark:block h-6\" src=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/content\/themes\/tennis365-sportsui\/img\/png\/preferred_source_badge_dark.png\" alt=\"Add as a preferred source on 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class=\"sm:hidden flex items-center space-x-5\">\n                        <a href=\"https:\/\/google.com\/preferences\/source?q=tennis365.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\"><br \/>\n                            <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"mx-auto !my-0 hidden dark:block h-6\" src=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/content\/themes\/tennis365-sportsui\/img\/png\/preferred_source_badge_dark.png\" alt=\"Add as a preferred source on Google\" width=\"76\" height=\"24\"><br \/>\n                            <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"mx-auto !my-0 dark:hidden h-6\" src=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/content\/themes\/tennis365-sportsui\/img\/png\/preferred_source_badge_light.png\" alt=\"Add as a preferred source on Google\" width=\"76\" height=\"24\"><br \/>\n                        <\/a><br \/>\n                        <button id=\"t365-article-share-btn-hidden\" class=\"mr-2 hidden h-6 w-6 appearance-none border-none !text-share-icon outline-none hover:!text-share-icon-active sm:hidden\" data-title=\"Iga Swiatek reveals she \u2018was so tight\u2019 while training under Rafael Nadal\u2019s watchful eye\"><\/p>\n<p>                        <\/button>\n                    <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"-mx-3 sm:-mx-5 border-b border-page\"><\/div>\n<section>\n<div class=\"-mx-3 sm:-mx-5\">\n<figure class=\"aspect-h-9 aspect-w-16 relative\">\n                                        <img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1320\" height=\"742\" loading=\"eager\" class=\"w-full h-full object-cover object-center !my-0\" src=\"https:\/\/d2me2qg8dfiw8u.cloudfront.net\/content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Iga-Swiatek-and-Rafael-Nadal-1320x742.jpg\" alt=\"Pictured: Iga Swiatek and Rafael Nadal\">                <\/figure><figcaption class=\"flex items-center space-x-3 border-b border-mobile-caption px-3 lg:border-caption\">\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"my-1.5 break-words !text-xs !text-content\">\n                                Iga Swiatek and Rafael Nadal &#8211; Credit: Rafa Nadal Academy                            <\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<div class=\"ciam-article-t365\"><!-- Article Start --><\/p>\n<p>It is not every day that you are coached by your childhood idol. Yet that is exactly what happened as Iga Swiatek trained under the watchful eye of her hero Rafael Nadal long with her new coach Francisco Roig.<\/p>\n<p>Following her decision to replace Wim Fissette with Roig, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/tag\/iga-swiatek\">Swiatek<\/a> kicked off her clay-court preparations at the famed Rafa Nadal Academy in Mallorca <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/tennis-news\/rafael-nadal-coaching-iga-swiatek-reaction\">with tennis great Nadal also on hand<\/a> to offer some advice.<\/p>\n<p>And just like any ordinary Nadal fan, Swiatek was a bit starstruck at the start as she told reporters in Madrid: \u201cFirst 15 minutes of practice, I was so tight. I was like, \u2018Oh my God, how should I play? He\u2019s watching, he\u2019s right there, you know\u2019.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBut honestly, it was my first days outside on clay. So I also gave myself space to\u2026 he was like, actually, he knows how it is. So he had like every possible experience probably on the court. So no one expected me to already play perfectly.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2>WTA News<\/h2>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/wta-tour\/wta-madrid-open-draw-swiatek-andreeva-rematch-rybakina-gauff-mboko-bottom-half-eala-qualifier\">Madrid Open draw: Swiatek-Andreeva rematch on cards, Rybakina, Gauff, Mboko bottom half, Eala gets qualifier<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/tennis-news\/iga-swiatek-francisco-roig-serve-decision-questioned-greg-rusedski\">Iga Swiatek warned she is making a mistake after changing a key area of her game<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Once she got comfortable with Nadal\u2019s presence at practice, the six-time Grand Slam winner made the most of the learning experience, and who wouldn\u2019t want to receive tips from the greatest clay-court player of all time?<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI feel like Rafa gave Francis more space to coach me, especially that these days where Rafa was on court were the first two days of me getting to know Francis,\u201d she explained.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBut from time to time, he was also giving me tips and also telling me some stories, how he struggled with some stuff and how he managed to work on them and what were his solutions.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo it was really nice to get that perspective. He for sure has, obviously, a really good eye. So I feel like immediately he knew what to tell me sometimes. But still, these were like first practices on clay. So for me, it was a big challenge to have two new people on the court and start playing on clay after hard court. But it was really exciting.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd honestly, it was probably one of the best practice weeks I had before a clay-court season. So I\u2019m really happy that I could experience that.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>After a week at the academy in Spain, Swiatek started her new adventure with Roig by her side at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix where she won her opening match against Laura Siegemund before <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/wta-tour\/full-iga-swiatek-press-conference-stuttgart-figures-it-out-francisco-roig\">losing in three sets against Mirra Andreeva<\/a> in the quarter-final.<\/p>\n<p>But the reigning world No 4 knows this is only the beginning as it will take some time before the partnership with Roig flourishes.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt is always a process of difficult decisions because, obviously, you talk to a coach, but until you are by their side and see how the coach sees it and how they react to things, it\u2019s hard to judge whether it\u2019s the right step or not,\u201d the Pole said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe met in Mallorca, and I had the opportunity to practice with him for 10 days before my first match in Stuttgart. I thought it was great. He has a good eye and quickly knows what the player needs. He also knew exactly what I had done wrong and what we needed to improve. So we had the same opinions.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe other thing is starting to work well in tennis, which is always a process. It\u2019s not something that happens in a week or a month. You have to change some things in your mind to make them automatic.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI am trying to be patient and work hard every day, but I don\u2019t expect to suddenly be perfect. But the idea is there, and the process has started, so I am very happy and motivated to work.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><!-- Article End --><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/article>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Iga Swiatek reveals she \u2018was so tight\u2019 while training under Rafael Nadal\u2019s watchful eye Shahida Jacobs 21 Apr 2026 10:30 AM Iga Swiatek and Rafael Nadal &#8211; Credit: Rafa Nadal Academy It is not every day that you are coached by your childhood idol. Yet that is exactly what happened as Iga Swiatek trained under [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[226,249],"class_list":["post-1893965","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-crawlmanager","tag-tennis365-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1893965","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1893965"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1893965\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1893965"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1893965"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1893965"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}