‘Nadal’s number is…’: Iga Swiatek’s new coach linked to Rafa

New Delhi: World No. 4 Iga Swiatek has announced a change of coach, bringing in Francisco Roig, who had previously worked with him. Rafael Nadal. The 24-year-old shared the update on Instagram, writing: “Welcome to the team Francisco! So excited for the new chapter.”The former world number one publicly thanked legend Rafael Nadal for his support.“You know, Rafa was my idol and basically the only person I saw playing tennis as a kid. He was also kind enough to talk to me a few times during his career and gave me advice. If I needed help or had a problem, I could go to him for help. Having someone with such experience – the best, in fact, the GOAT – is obviously a great opportunity and I will take advantage of it if I can,” Swiatek told Sport.pl.“Rafa was very open. He’s a great guy. Just having his phone number and being able to reach him was a huge honor. But honestly, whether he helped me or not, I wanted to keep it private because he was part of the story. I didn’t want to put him in an awkward position,” Swiatek added.“It’s between us. I don’t want to get into the details. It’s definitely not something someone like me would decide to do after a loss. I don’t make decisions like this lightly,” she said.The move comes shortly after Swiatek parted ways with former coach Wim Fissette following a disappointing second-round exit at the Miami Open. It was her first withdrawal from competition in nearly three years, underlining her decline in form.Swiatek has been inconsistent this season, performing poorly in key matches. Her quarter-final exits at the Australian Open, Qatar Open and Indian Wells Open raised concerns about her performance level.The coaching change appears to be a response to these woes, with the former world number one hoping to regain momentum and confidence ahead of the upcoming tournament.Roig, 58, brings a wealth of experience, having worked closely with Nadal’s team for many years alongside Toni Nadal and Carlos Moya. He has also coached top players such as Emma Raducanu, Matteo Berrettini and Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard.With Roig joining her team, Swiatek hopes his experience will help her rediscover her best and remain competitive in the coming months.