Iga Swiatek has hired Francisco Roig as her new coach following the Wimbledon champion’s split from Wim Fissette.
Roig was part of Rafael Nadal’s team for 16 of his 22 grand slam titles and had recently been working with Swiatek at the Spanish great’s academy in Manacor.
Swiatek, a four-time French Open champion, is looking to rediscover her form ahead of the clay-court season, following a turbulent period of results.
Roig was sacked by Emma Raducanu following her second-round exit from the Australian Open in January and amid a difference in opinion over her playing style.
Raducanu said her “natural way of playing” had been “coached out of me” amid a revolving door of coaches and after Roig had attempted to tweak her forehand.
Roig, though, would appear to be a more natural fit for Swiatek, whose extreme top-spin and playing style on clay, her favourite surface, is heavily influenced by her idol Nadal.
Swiatek, the world no 4, split with Fissette following her opening-round defeat at the Miami Open last month. They won a Wimbledon title together last season.
But the Pole struggled to develop her game under Fissette, announcing that she would “take a different path” while the rest of her team would remain intact.
At the time, Swiatek, 24, said: “I know there are many questions, but l’ll let you know what’s next at the right time. I’m taking a moment to take care of myself, process this experience, and prepare for a new chapter.”
Raducanu split with Roig after six months working together. The former US Open champion has yet to hire another full-time coach and has suggested that she may instead seek input from a range of voices in the short-term.
“I have had a lot of people telling me what to do, how to play, and it hasn't necessarily fit,” Raducanu said ahead of Indian Wells last month. “So I want to come back to my natural way of playing. That takes time to relearn because that's something that has been coached out of me a little bit.
“I don't necessarily want to have one coach in the role because anyone I bring in is straight away going to be scrutinised - even if it's a trial. I might feel the pressure to stick with them, even if it's not necessarily the right decision.
“I would love to have a coach that works well, but I don't think it's necessarily going to be easy to find one person and they are going to check every box.”
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