What were the emotions of the ‘Queen of Clay‘ after hearing the ‘King of Clay’ may well end his illustrious career at the end of this season? Well, Iga Swiatek is a big Rafael Nadal fan! She first watched him live from the stadium at the Roland Garros in 2017. Both of them showcase a dominating style of play on clay. But at the 2024 Italian Open, Nadal was defeated in his second-round match against Swiatek’s close friend and compatriot, Hubert Hurkacz. However, Iga Swiatek did manage to take a step forward towards a rare Madrid–Rome double by winning her R32 match. Here’s what she had to say about her idol after the match.

Tennis fans have witnessed how Rafael Nadal’s wife, Maria Francisca Perello, and his sister, Maria Isabel Nadal, broke down in tears after hearing Gladiator’s theme song, ‘Now We Are Free‘ across the stadium in Madrid. Now Iga Swiatek reveals that she faced a similar emotional run during the Madrid ceremony. What was she going through at that moment? “Mixed emotions because obviously, I’m still pretty young, so it’s hard for me to understand what his exact situation is. I haven’t been in this place where I’m playing my last tournaments,” Swiatek.

She further went on to add, “But I watched the whole ceremony in Madrid and I cried obviously. But he seems happy and that’s the most important thing.” Iga Swiatek has time and again reflected her admiration for Rafael Nadal. But during his last match in Rome, Swiatek was in a complete dilemma to pick the winner. She refrained from choosing a side.

Reflecting on the match between Rafael Nadal and Hubert Hurkacz, she said, “He’s a huge inspiration for sure. I talk about it every time because he’s basically the only idol I ever had in my life. It’s great that he’s back to play some tennis. It’s a tricky match cause he’s playing Hubi. I’m not gonna cheer for anybody.” 

Iga Swiatek is just 22 years old and has already grabbed four Grand Slam titles, including three at the French Open. Apart from winning titles on Paris soil, what else has she learned from Rafael Nadal’s game?

Iga Swiatek reflects on her learnings from Rafael Nadal

During the post-match interview with Tennis Channel, the world number one women’s tennis player went on to reflect on her admiration for Rafael Nadal. She said, “I think his approach is very, very smart. And really, it’s a good example of an athlete that is satisfied with what he achieved and he’s okay with starting another chapter in his life, I guess. It seems like it.“ Rafael Nadal has won 14 French Open titles, the most by any tennis player. Swiatek is 10 titles behind him, can she be an example for women’s tennis in the near future?

Talking about setting an example, Swiatek feels no one’s better than Nadal to do that! “So I think he’s going to be a good example of how you should approach this kind of stuff. And it’s normal, everybody’s obviously making a huge fuss around it, but it’s his life and he’s doing everything the way he wants it on his terms, and I think it’s great,” Iga Swiatek. Can Iga Swiatek clinch the 2024 French Open this year?