Swiatek explains the signing of Francis Roig: "He shares my vision about my game"

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Iga Swiatek needed victories, especially on her favorite surface. The clay court queen of the last decade returned at the WTA Stuttgart 2026 to taste the sweetness of triumph after overcoming Siegemund in the first round; as simple as it may seem, it is a soothing victory for Iga, who aims for a fresh start on the tour.

Many have overlooked her due to the rivalry between Sabalenka and Rybakina, but the Polish player has set out to shake things up and become formidable in any tournament again. Now, Francis Roig is the captain of the ship, and it seems clear that they are on the same page, sharing similar ideas, as Swiatek herself mentioned in the post-match press conference.

Swiatek explained how the hiring of Francis Roig came about and what changed in her training in Mallorca

Great victory in her first clay court match of the season

"I think I adapted very well to the surface, although it was a bit slippery. The match feeling is different from that of training. I wanted to adjust and give myself space to accept that it wouldn't be all so simple. It was a positive match. I tactically used things I had practiced, and at the same time, it wasn't an easy match, I had moments where I had to work hard, so I'm very happy with the match."

- About her training at the Rafa Nadal Academy and whether the things she worked on are already working

"I've trained there in 2022 and 2018, but it's clear that it's something new compared to last year; I stayed home last year. Sometimes today, I returned to rely on my old habits when applying solutions on the court, but I feel I remembered a lot from what I had in mind in training and was ready to do it on the court. I've only trained with Francisco (Roig) for about 10 days; you can't expect everything to be automatic. You need matches to get into that mode, but I'm happy with what I had in mind and the ideas I was looking for. It's a step in the right direction."

- Changes she's worked on and her decision to connect with Francis Roig

"I feel I have a lot of clarity on what to do on a clay court and completely agree with what Francisco wants to show me. However, if everyone could execute their ideas 100% in any match, they would win everything, so I need space to win matches and see how it works. I've changed my serving mechanics, something that makes me very happy. I need matches to find consistency. I'm trying to approach my return differently, trying to put more returns in, not rushing during exchanges, trusting my solid baseline game and reminding myself that I can be more solid than my opponents."

- Automating her serving mechanics: How does such a significant change in her tennis feel?

"Yes, the muscle memory isn't there yet; I need time because I haven't even changed my mechanics right after Miami. I realized this in Mallorca. After five days there, I already saw the mechanics I wanted to have, so it has been in less time than my entire training period. I'm happy. In training, it's going smoothly already. Sometimes in matches, I felt I made some perfect movements, but more similar to my old serve. I need time; it's not the first time I've made changes to my serve, and I'm going to be patient about it. Maybe I wasn't too patient on the court, but I'm trying (smiles).

- Whether she truly didn't want her new coach to be a Polish compatriot

"Having had Tomasz (Wiktorowski) before, he was the best Polish coach I could have, so I didn't have many options to find such an experienced coach in Poland. I was looking for someone with training experience, who knows how to play on clay, and who shares my same ideas about becoming a rock from the baseline and not rushing in exchanges. Francisco had a similar perspective."

- If this is a new chapter in her tennis

"It's definitely a new chapter. A new process. It's my life, so I have to take these experiences and learn from them. You need time to change certain things: I didn't expect today to be perfect, especially after the recent matches. Going into a match with some wins or coming off a losing streak is completely different. I'm giving myself time to work on everything and build that confidence, good matches with myself."

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Swiatek explica el fichaje de Francis Roig: "Comparte mi visión sobre mi juego"