It was the 2020 French Open. Iga Swiatek was up against Sofia Kenin in the summit clash in a bid to win her first Grand Slam title. She came out on the top in that match, defeating the American in straight sets. Her idol, Rafael Nadal followed Swiatek by winning his 13th Roland Garros title.

Swiatek’s career graph has been on an uptrend ever since she lifted her first Major title. She has had a consistent run in tournaments, which has enabled her to rise to the fourth spot in the WTA rankings. Additionally, she has also lifted a couple of WTA 1000 titles.

Rafael Nadal and Iga Swiatek are in Indian Wells to participate in the BNP Paribas Open. The two had a wonderful moment together at the tournament.

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Former French Open champions Rafael Nadal and Iga Swiatek share a warm hug

Nadal and Swiatek met each other during a pre-tournament photoshoot at Indian Wells. “14 Roland Garros titles in the house,” the caption read as they shared a warm hug.

Iga Swiatek shares a strong bond with her idol, Rafael Nadal. Moreover, the Spaniard had texted Swiatek after her Australian Open campaign. “I will not reveal all the details, but Rafa emphasized that I played a great tournament, that I had a great start to the season, and that I should focus on the next steps, because I am going in the right direction,” Swiatek said.

Nadal is the fourth seed at the BNP Paribas Open and opens his campaign against Sebastian Korda in the second round. On the other hand, Swiatek is the third seed in Indian Wells. She opens her campaign against Anhelina Kalinina of Ukraine in the second round.

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Can the two have a successful run in the tournament? Let us know your views in the comments below.