Iga Swiatek Backs Nadal's Former Coach to Spearhead Clay-Court Resurgence After Miami Slump

World number four Iga Swiatek will start her clay-court season at the Stuttgart Open with a new coaching arrangement, as she teams up with former Rafael Nadal mentor Francisco Roig following a difficult start to the year on the WTA Tour.

Swiatek has endured an inconsistent run in 2024, exiting at the quarter-final stage of the Australian Open before early defeats in Doha, Indian Wells, and a second-round loss to Magda Linette in Miami. The results led to a coaching change, with Swiatek parting ways with Wim Fissette and bringing in Roig ahead of the clay season.

New Coaching Direction with Francisco Roig

Speaking in Stuttgart, Swiatek said she was pleased with the early progress under her new coach.

"I'm really happy to start with Francis," Swiatek told a press conference in Stuttgart.

"I was basically looking for someone with a good eye, really technical, but also a person that is experienced enough to help me through some different kind of situations. I feel Francisco has lived through everything on tour.

"It's going really amazing ... I was able to find a new coach pretty fast, which is a positive thing because when you do that in the middle of the season, it's nice to have some security in that."

Roig, who previously worked with Swiatek’s idol Rafael Nadal, joins her team at a key point in the season as she transitions onto clay, her most successful surface.

Training Block in Mallorca

Ahead of Stuttgart, the six-time Grand Slam winner spent a training block at the Rafael Nadal Academy in Mallorca. She also had brief court time with Nadal, whom she described as a source of inspiration and feedback during preparations.

Swiatek added that Roig will now take full responsibility for her coaching structure going forward as she looks to reset her season on clay, where she has won four of her major titles at the French Open.