Swiatek advised by Nadal as she appoints his old coach

April 2, 2026 No Comments

Swiatek advised by Nadal as she appoints his old coachImage source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Iga Swiatek won her first Grand Slam title at the French Open in 2020ByBobbie JacksonBBC Sport journalistPublished2 April 2026, 12:39 BSTUpdated 39 minutes agoWimbledon champion Iga Swiatek will work with Francisco Roig – the former coach of Rafael Nadal and Emma Raducanu – as she looks to turn around her inconsistent form.Poland’s Swiatek has struggled to find her rhythm in 2026, exiting the Australian Open and Indian Wells at the quarter-final stage.The 24-year-old tends to perform better on clay, having won four of her six Grand Slam titles at the French Open, and has drafted in Roig in preparation for next month’s event in Paris.Swiatek confirmed the partnership on Instagram, writing “welcome to the team, Francisco! Very excited for this new chapter”.World number four Swiatek began working with Roig at Nadal’s academy in Majorca this week as she shifts her attention to the clay-court season.Nadal was also on court with the pair, offering first-hand advice as Swiatek looks to re-establish the dominance which saw her win four French Open titles between 2020 and 2024.Raducanu pulls out of another tournament after illness

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Spain’s Roig coached Briton Raducanu for five months between 2025 and 2026, but is best known for his 17-year stint with 22-time Grand Slam champion Nadal.

Swiatek had been working under Wim Fissette, who helped her win a first Wimbledon title in July, but they parted ways after Swiatek’s first-round loss at the Miami Open in March.

Swiatek experienced immense highs alongside Fissette, with her triumph at SW19 the pinnacle, but also endured serious lows, including being ‘bageled’ – losing a set to love – in her semi-final defeat by Aryna Sabalenka at last year’s French Open.

Why Swiatek has turned to Roig – analysis

Jonathan Jurejko

BBC Sport tennis news reporter

Being able to ping a message to one of the greatest players of all-time is a perk which Swiatek has taken full advantage of.

She has often contacted Nadal for advice and reached out last month to discuss her coaching situation after Fissette’s departure.

With Swiatek looking to rediscover her mojo before the French Open, the King of Clay had an obvious recommendation: the man who was a key cog in his team for all 22 Grand Slam victories.

Roig worked alongside Nadal’s principal coaches – his uncle Toni Nadal and later Carlos Moya – but was credited as the brains behind the technical changes which the swashbuckling Spaniard regularly made during his career to stay at the very top.

In a recent interview with Polish media,, external Swiatek stated she wants to return to being “a rock on the court”.

That means not resorting to the wild, aggressive hitting which she has shown when under pressure in recent months, but instead rediscovering her stability at the baseline to keep returning balls.

The intention is to force mistakes from her opponents or drag them out of position before landing a killer blow herself.

This style led to four titles at Roland Garros, where she has used her topspin forehand to devastating effect. Sound familiar?

Roig, whose length of deal is unknown, feels like a good fit for Swiatek. However, his solo work with players since leaving Nadal’s team – including Raducanu – has not been as fruitful as hoped.

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16 August 2025

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