“He was the only player I watched, so I don’t know if I’m going to watch tennis at all now,” said Iga Swiatek when she expressed her true emotions on her idol Rafael Nadal’s retirement. The 22-time Grand Slam champion said goodbye to tennis after playing his final match in the Davis Cup last week. Being an inspirational figure for Swiatek, he’s had a huge influence on her. So much so, that one former WTA pro believes that Iga is, in fact, a mirror image of Rafa. There’s one common factor between them that makes them great and better than the others.

While sharing thoughts on Rafael Nadal‘s retirement, former German player Andrea Petkovic shed light one a key factor that she finds in Iga Swiatek too. Speaking in an episode of the Rennae Stubbs Podcast, dated November 26th, Petkovic tried to explain how she thinks the Pole is basically an extension of Nadal’s personality on the tennis court. But how? Per the former WTA pro, Nadal’s quality that separated him away from his contemporaries was his urge to not lose any point and keep giving his best until he won. And that feeling of winning in the end gave him relief that he succeeded and didn’t concede a defeat. “And Iga is the same,” said Petkovic. “I agree 100%. I think Iga is psychologically the same person as Rafa. And that’s why she’s also so hard to beat, because she has this every point mentality,” she added.

That’s also the main reason why Iga admires Nadal so much, according to Petkovic. “Yes, she identifies with him and she doesn’t know why. She thinks because he’s great, but it’s because they are scared when they go on court. And I don’t recommend it as a way of being, but I think that’s what makes them great,” she said in the podcast. She implied that both of them are always anxious about the eventual result. They don’t want to lose, no matter what, and that’s why they keep pushing themselves to their limits. “I think that’s what makes them more addicted to it in a way, because the moment of relief, oh my god, my anxieties didn’t come true, I think is stronger than the triumph of winning,” concluded Petkovic.

Nadal’s impact has been quite visible in Iga’s career. Probably that’s the simple reason why she couldn’t believe when she realized he was finally retiring from tennis after dominating the court for two decades.

When Iga Swiatek penned down an emotional message for Rafael Nadal

Last month, Nadal had confirmed that he would hang his racket after the Davis Cup match. Following this news, many renowned figures came forward to share their thoughts and feelings on the King of Clay’s decision. Among them was also the Pole. She was clearly in shock as she couldn’t believe her idol was about to say goobye to an illustrious career filled with an immortal legacy. Iga shared her thoughts in a message and wrote “You (Rafa) were and still are the biggest inspiration that I ever had in tennis. The reason why sometimes I got extra motivated and kept pushing myself.” She revealed that the 14-time Roland Garros winner was the main reason that kept her always inspired to do better.

Just few days back, Iga Swiatek had also shared a sweet memory with Nadal. In an interview, she told about their interaction at a previous edition of the French Open when they met during a practice session. “I remember we practiced in Roland Garros once. That was actually like a gift for my birthday. So we hit for like 15 minutes and I realized that he’s really down to earth and humble. That was the first time I talked to him, so it was special,” she said.

Reflecting on Nadal’s spirits, even after losing, she remembered how he dealt with his loss against Djokovic back in 2021. Nadal lost against the Serbian at the Roland Garros in the SF round. That year, he was on the quest to his 14th French Open trophy. Sadly, it couldn’t happen. But it didn’t deter Nadal from doing better the next time – that’s what really impacted Iga as a player. “I saw him somewhere in the hotel and I told him that I even cried when he lost. He was so calm, and he said, ‘That’s just tennis and life goes on and there are gonna be different goals in the future”, she told. Well that’s Nadal for you – always ready to compete and rise above the challenges. He’s been truly a GOAT of tennis, hasn’t he?