Iga Swiatek has been hard at work ahead of her clay-court swing by practicing with ATP legend Rafael Nadal.
Swiatek split with Wim Fissette after a disappointing hard-court swing, which she is now attempting to put in the past.
And she’s doing that in various ways, with Swiatek training with Nadal at his academy, and indeed hiring his former coach Francisco Roig.
Both should work in the Pole’s favor as Swiatek continues her search for a first WTA title of the 2026 season.
Her practice with Nadal has indeed caught the eye of another coach, with Rick Macci offering his verdict on their training sessions.
Who is the greatest male tennis player of all time?
Iga Swiatek told she can learn from Rafael Nadal mentally
Macci, who coached WTA legend Serena Williams, posted on X: “Every word from Rafa is a gold nugget because on the dirt he is the best of the best that ever held the stick.
“Where he can flip the Iga script is not so much strategically but mentally.
“If the Polish Punisher can get her identity back between the ears she will come all the way back.”
Nadal definitely has phenomenal insight that he can pass on to Swiatek, particularly when it comes to playing on clay.
The King of Clay won a stunning 14 titles at the French Open, and is undoubtedly the best to ever play on the surface.
Fittingly, Swiatek is also well-accomplished on clay, already boasting four titles at Roland Garros at the age of 24.
| Result | Year | Tournament | Surface | Opponent | Score |
| Win | 2020 | French Open | Clay | Sofia Kenin | 6–4, 6–1 |
| Win | 2022 | French Open | Clay | Coco Gauff | 6–1, 6–3 |
| Win | 2022 | US Open | Hard | Ons Jabeur | 6–2, 7–6(7–5) |
| Win | 2023 | French Open | Clay | Karolina Muchova | 6–2, 5–7, 6–4 |
| Win | 2024 | French Open | Clay | Jasmine Paolini | 6–2, 6–1 |
| Win | 2025 | Wimbledon | Grass | Amanda Anisimova | 6-0, 6-0 |
Iga Swiatek told she must stay positive on the court
While she hasn’t quite emulated Nadal just yet, Swiatek has a superb history on the clay courts of the French Open.
The Pole has been the player to beat in Paris in recent years, having emerged successful in all four of her finals at Roland Garros.
Adding further comment on Swiatek ahead of her clay-court swing, Macci wrote on X: “Iga knows what she can and cannot do.
“Men’s tennis and women’s tennis very different. If she grinds more and stays in the crosscourt longer is a band aid.
“The top players can change the direction much easier than five years ago and take control.
“The Punisher has the game and has the feet, just stay super positive and on the clay she is tough to beat.”
Where do you think she will be ranked?
Swiatek can shine at the French Open, but it certainly won’t be easy given her relatively underwhelming start to the season and her off-field distractions.
She’s currently 12-6 and without a title in 2026, with the former world number one having also slipped to fourth in the WTA rankings.
There is, of course, the presence of her WTA rivals who also have fine track records on clay, including Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff.
Gauff claimed the most clay wins in 2025, which included a comeback French Open final victory over Sabalenka.
Receive exclusive tennis news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
