Following her hiring of Francisco Roig and training sessions at the Rafa Nadal Academy, world No. 1 Iga Swiatek has drawn nervous reactions from American rivals Jessica Pegula and Madison Keys ahead of the clay season. They joked that the partnership with clay king Nadal should be 'illegal'.
Training clips from the academy, shared ahead of Swiatek's title defense at Roland Garros, show her working with Roig and receiving tips from Nadal himself. The footage has excited fans but alarmed competitors. On The Player’s Box podcast, Jessica Pegula said, “I saw that clip of (Iga and Rafa) on the clay, and I was like, Uhhhh… this is bad for everybody. This should be illegal. This should not be allowed!” Madison Keys added, “Oh god... The last thing we needed Iga to have on the clay was Rafa… Scary.” Desirae Krawczyk admitted nerves about hitting in front of Nadal, with Keys joking about his quick critiques. Danielle Collins praised Roig's expertise on Tennis Channel, calling it 'scary' for the tour. Former coach Rick Macci tweeted that Nadal's mental advice could sharpen Swiatek's edge. Swiatek opens her clay swing at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart on April 13.
