Iga Swiatek finally heard something from fellow WTA players that made her smile, and it came at the perfect time. The Polish star reacted warmly after Jessica Pegula and Madison Keys openly admitted they were worried about Swiatek training with Rafael Nadal before the clay season. Their comments quickly caught attention across the tennis world, especially because players on tour do not often publicly praise or fear each other in such an honest way.
Swiatek's Difficult Season and Team Changes
Swiatek has had a difficult season so far. The former World No. 1 has struggled to move past the quarter-finals in multiple tournaments this year. Her painful opening-round loss to fellow Pole Magda Linette at the Miami Open became one of the toughest moments of her season. Soon after that defeat, Swiatek made a major change in her team. She ended her partnership with coach Wim Fissette and started working with Francisco Roig, who previously coached Rafael Nadal.
Training with Nadal Sparks Reactions
As she tried to rebuild her confidence ahead of the clay season, Swiatek spent time training at Rafael Nadal's academy. Nadal himself joined some of the sessions, and videos from the practice courts quickly spread online. Fans were excited, but other players clearly noticed it too.
Pegula and Keys Express Concerns
During The Player's Box podcast, Jessica Pegula and Madison Keys joked that Swiatek training with Nadal could become dangerous for the rest of the WTA field on clay. "I feel like that's perfect for Iga. I saw a clip of them on the clay, and I was like ugh, this is bad for everybody," Jessica Pegula said. "I was like, Oh god. The last thing we needed Iga to have on the clay was Rafa," Madison Keys added.
Swiatek's Response
When reporters later asked Swiatek about those comments during the Italian Open, she admitted she had not watched the podcast herself but had heard about it from others. Her answer gave a rare look into relationships between players on the WTA Tour. "I didn't see it, but I heard about it. It made me feel nice. It's rare to hear something positive from other players on tour, so overall I felt really appreciated. But you know—it's just a podcast and some comments. You still have to do the work on the court to play well. I'll prepare for the next match regardless of the comments or jokes," Iga Swiatek said.
Finding Rhythm on Clay
Swiatek now seems to be finding her rhythm again on clay. At the Italian Open, she produced one of her strongest performances of the season with a dominant 6-2, 6-1 win over Naomi Osaka.
Upcoming Quarter-Final Against Pegula
Next, Swiatek faces Jessica Pegula in the quarter-finals. The Polish star knows the challenge will not be easy despite her past clay success against the American. "Jess is always a tough opponent. She is already super experienced and always calm, playing in a solid way. I will need to be ready, watch her games on the clay court, 'cause I think it's been a while since we played on clay," Swiatek said.
Swiatek defeated Pegula in their only previous clay-court meeting at the 2022 French Open. However, Pegula has won their last three matches overall, making this upcoming clash one of the most watched matches of the Italian Open.
