Swiatek presses reset with help of Nadal’s coach

Iga Swiatek is hoping to benefit from new coach Francisco Roig’s experience and technical expertise when she begins her claycourt season at the Stuttgart Open this week after a disappointing start to the year.

The six-time Grand Slam champion lost in the quarter-finals of the Australian Open and in tournaments in Doha and Indian Wells before a shock second-round defeat by Magda Linette in the Miami Open last month.

That prompted Swiatek to part ways with coach Wim Fissette and hire Roig, who worked with her idol Rafa Nadal from 2005 to 2022 and more recently with Briton Emma Raducanu.

“I’m really happy to start with Francis,” Swiatek said. “I was basically looking for someone with a good eye, really technical, but also a person that is experienced enough to help me through different kinds of situations. I feel Francisco has lived through everything on tour.

“It’s going really amazing ... I was able to find a new coach pretty fast, which is a positive thing because when you do that in the middle of the season, it’s nice to have some security in that.”

REUTERS