“If I’m going to win more Grand Slam titles and have more success in my career, then I hope I will be like Rafa,” Iga Swiatek said a couple of years ago, referring to Rafael Nadal’s humility. Presently, the Pole has acquired four Grand Slam titles at Roland Garros, where Nadal previously earned fourteen! But, her QF exit from the US Open this year raised eyebrows in the tennis world. Although Swiatek is still the No. 1 player in the world, as she navigates the challenge of staying atop the rankings, her childhood coach, Artur Szostaczko, has provided her with some valuable advice.

Szostaczko, who coached Iga Swiatek until she was 10 years old, talked with Sport.PL about the changes that the Polish star needs to bring to her game to continue her reign at the top. When asked who she could take inspiration from, Szostaczko responded by saying, “Rafael Nadal has always been her role model. When you have a free moment, it’s worth watching the Spaniard’s match when he was 18, and later 28 or 34.”

Comparing Nadal’s approach to  Novak Djokovic, Swiatek’s childhood coach further stated, “It’s worth seeing how Nadal has developed technically over the years, in terms of specific shots, and has started going to the net. It’s similar to Djokovic. Iga’s rivals don’t stand still, they’re looking for other solutions, and in a moment they won’t be afraid of our tennis player.” 

Swiatek, who admitted previously that she watched Nadal’s game on TV and learned from it as a kid, has a striking similarity with the King of Clay’s style, be it her on-court demeanor or her tendency to sprint to the baseline. Even their forehands and backhands are similar, according to Swiatek. “It’s good to look at his forehand as an example, how he’s using this spin to make a difference. Also, his backhand is pretty flat. I think we have many similarities in that case,” the Pole said. Swiatek also admitted she looks up to Nadal more for his mental resilience and down-to-earth nature.

After winning the French Open earlier this season, the 23-year-old has struggled at the major events. Swiatek lost to Yulia Putintseva in the third round at Wimbledon, before losing to Qinwen Zheng in the Paris Olympics semis. She then fell to Jessica Pegula in the US Open quarterfinals as well.

Talking about Pegula though, she might have beaten Swiatek at the US Open, but once she also admitted that the Pole’s style is pretty much like Rafael Nadal and her ability to turn defense into offense is extraordinary.

Pegula on Iga Swiatek’s “modeling” her game “after Rafa”

During Iga Swiatek’s unstoppable run in the 2024 French Open, Pegula, who pulled out of the tournament owing to her rib injury, provided an interesting analysis of the Pole’s game. She pointed out that Swiatek has a daunting presence on clay courts, like Rafael Nadal. “She modeled it after Rafa. So, hitting that heavy topspin, her athleticism, I think her ability to turn defense into offense.”

Pegula further elaborated on Swiatek’s special ability to hit the ball early on the rise. “And then on clay, she just has more time to do that. It just caters [to] her game with kind of heavy topspin, and she plays more like a guy, to be more honest,” the 30-year-old said.

Iga Swiatek, with her game revolving around offense, has always embraced her role model, Rafa’s mindset and playing techniques. While she continues being a “big fan” of the former World No. 1 player, hopefully, she will bring the necessary changes to her game, as her former coach has suggested, to further hone her skills!