Rafael Nadal did his best to ring in a new chapter in Iga Swiatek’s career on Thursday in Mallorca.
The former No. 1 player in the PIF ATP Rankings welcomed WTA star Swiatek to the Rafa Nadal Academy and spent time on court with the Pole alongside her new coach Francisco Roig.
Welcome back to the Rafa Nadal Academy!,” Nadal wrote to Swiatek, on the same day she announced her collaboration with Roig, in a post on social media. “Enjoy your time here! We hope you feel at home”.
Swiatek responded on Instagram Stories: “Thanks for having us. So nice to be back!”.
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Nadal is more than familiar with his fellow Spaniard Roig, who coached the lefty from 2005 to 2022. During that period, Nadal won all 22 of his Grand Slam titles and spent 209 weeks as World No. 1.
Herself a six-time major titlist who has spent 125 weeks atop the PIF WTA Rankings, Swiatek has spoken frequently about Nadal being her idol growing up. Now, the 24-year-old will hope that catching up with the ATP Tour great and the addition of Roig to her team can help push her onto further success.
Wimbledon 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”.
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.
World number four 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 quarter-final defeat by Aryna Sabalenka at last year’s French Open.
Feliciano Lopez and Matteo Berrettini are among the other names to have spent time with Roig.
Lopez said Roig achieves the best results by using unique coaching drills, which are “practical” and “specific”, with his players.
It is said the 58-year-old identifies technical issues by observation, rather than relying on forensic video analysis.
Swiatek began working with Roig at Nadal’s academy in Manacor, Spain, as she shifts her attention to the clay-court season.