Iga Swiatek has been hard at work behind the scenes ahead of her first clay-court tournament of 2026.
Yet to make an appearance since losing her match on the hard courts of the Miami Open, Swiatek is scheduled to play in Stuttgart later this month.
She is in the field for the WTA 500 tournament in Germany, ahead of which Swiatek has parted ways with Wim Fissette and hired Francisco Roig.
The six-time Grand Slam champion has been training hard on the clay under the supervision of Roig, but also his legendary past pupil.
Swiatek has been training with Rafael Nadal at his academy, which is a move that should strike fear into the rest of the WTA Tour.
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Iga Swiatek training with Rafael Nadal should strike fear into WTA rivals
Swiatek is already one of the most successful WTA players on clay, with four titles at the French Open among her honors list.
She triumphed on the iconic clay courts of Roland Garros in three successive years, lifting the trophy from 2022 to 2024.
The 24-year-old also clinched the French Open title in 2020, with a fourth round finish on debut representing her worst run at the Grand Slam.
She already boasts a stunning record on the surface, but training with the King of Clay himself is only going to make her even better.
Nadal claimed 14 of his 22 Grand Slam titles at the French Open, and is now passing down vital wisdom to the WTA number four.
Her attitude suggests that the advice won’t fall on deaf ears, with the Spaniard’s iconic forehand one area of focus during their lengthy time together.
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Jessica Pegula shares understandable reaction to Iga Swiatek and Rafael Nadal pairing
The tennis world has been mesmerized by the link-up between Swiatek and Nadal, and that includes two of her WTA rivals.
Doing their best to make light of the situation, American star Jessica Pegula said on The Player’s Box podcast: “I saw the clip of them on the clay, I was like, ughhh, this is bad for everybody!
“I was like, this should be illegal.”
Concurring, her compatriot Madison Keys commented: “I was like, oh God. The last thing we needed Iga to have on the clay was Rafa.”
The pair were laughing on the outside, but there will undoubtedly be genuine concern on the inside ahead of a potential meeting with Swiatek on clay.
| Result | Year | Opponent | Score |
| Win | 2020 | Sofia Kenin | 6–4, 6–1 |
| Win | 2022 | Coco Gauff | 6–1, 6–3 |
| Win | 2023 | Karolina Muchova | 6–2, 5–7, 6–4 |
| Win | 2024 | Jasmine Paolini | 6–2, 6–1 |
She should be motivated and perhaps already better on the surface after a brief run-in with Nadal, while the Pole will also be feeling refreshed after her break from match action.
Neither Pegula nor Keys are in the field for Stuttgart, but Swiatek is joined by fellow top four players Aryna Sabalenka, Elena Rybakina and Coco Gauff.
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