As one of the most formidable forces currently in women’s tennis Poland’s Iga Swiatek has revealed that it was actually a member of the ATP Tour who inspired her to play the way she does.
Speaking to the German publication Tennis Magazine, the 19-year-old says she is fascinated with 20-time Grand Slam winner Rafael Nadal and he has had an influence on how she plays. Something that has been picked up by others in the world of tennis. Former world No.1 Mats Wilander drew a parallel between the two following Switek’s triumph in Paris last year when he said ‘once she gets control of the rally with her forehand, you just can’t get out of the grip. It feels like I’m watching Rafa Nadal.’
As to her development, Swiatek said she has been able to develop quicker due to playing with male players. She is currently the youngest player in the top 20 on the WTA Tour. Her shock win at the French Open in 2020 took place just two years after she won the Wimbledon girls’ title.
“I play a lot with men because there aren’t that many female players in Poland. This allows me to develop faster as a player. I didn’t watch tennis too much when I was young. The only player who fascinated me was Rafael Nadal,” she explains.
“I guess I copied my style of play from him. I like to hit the balls with a lot of top spin. My first coach also told me that it was unusual for a girl to play with top spin. He advised me to focus on it as one day it will be a great strength.”
Continuing her praise of Nadal, the Pole says her admiration for him has increased even more ever since they met in person. A surreal experience for somebody who used to pick his character to play tennis on the playstation due to his use of the top spin.
“Since I now know him not only as a player but also as a person, I respect him even more as a person. He’s humble and has stayed the same guy he was before winning so many titles. When I was young I loved the way he looks and the energy he plays with.” Swiatek said.
The world No.18 is continuing her successes from last year into this season. At the Australian Open she reached the fourth round before losing to Simona Halep in three sets. Following on from Melbourne, Switek clinched her second WTA title in Adelaide on Saturday. In the final she crushed Belinda Bencic 6-2, 6-2, by hitting a total of 22 winners against six unforced errors.
Swiatek has pulled out of the Qatar Open after going through some ‘intense weeks’ in Australia. She is scheduled to return to the Tour next month at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships.
