Three months ago, Francisco Roig was part of Emma Raducanu’s coaching setup, working with her for around six months. They parted ways after a second-round exit at the Australian Open, and now he has one of the biggest jobs in women’s tennis, coaching six-time Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek into the clay season. 

Swiatek confirmed the appointment on her Instagram story on Thursday, posting a photo of the two together with the caption: “Welcome to the team, Francisco! Very excited for this new chapter.”

Roig knows the ins and outs of the red dirt. He was Rafael Nadal’s backup coach throughout his career, helping him win 14 Roland Garros titles. The Spaniard is widely regarded for his contributions to identifying and fixing flaws in strokes and valued for his deep knowledge of clay-court patterns and construction. This pairing could prove deadly for the rest of the tour during the upcoming clay season. 

The announcement ends weeks of speculation about Swiatek’s split from Belgian coach Wim Fissette. Their partnership lasted 17 months, during which the Pole even won her first Wimbledon title last year. This split came after a disappointing second-round exit at the Miami Open. 

This year, Iga Swiatek has reached the quarterfinal stage in nearly every tournament she’s played, with Miami being the only exception. Although hard courts aren’t her preferred surface, her results have still fallen below the standards expected of the former world No. 1. Her current record stands at 12-6, but she has yet to capture a title, a source of frustration that prompted her recent coaching change.

Additionally, the coach-player duo has been training at the Rafael Nadal Academy. While Pole’s game is heavily influenced by Nadal, the man himself was seen coaching her on the court in one of the training sessions.

Both Roig and Swiatek appeared to be on the same page, sharing a clear sense of direction that seemed mutually beneficial. The world No. 4 has also explained her reasons for parting ways with her former coach.

Why did Iga Swiatek need a change?

There was nothing sudden about the split between Wim Fissette and Iga Swiatek. The latter had been open about a progressive loss of form and feel, which had been accruing since Doha.

“It’s not something someone like me decides right after a failure. I wouldn’t make such a decision lightly. I don’t make impulsive decisions, I’m quite rational. I don’t make many changes within the team; I like to give the team the opportunity to ‘reset’ and start working in a slightly different way. However, in this case, I felt it was just time for a change. Yes, it wasn’t a decision made in Miami but rather a longer process during which I carefully considered everything.”

After her quarterfinal exit in Doha, the Polish player realized she wasn’t feeling as comfortable on court as before. Her team analyzed the three‑set loss to Maria Sakkari and worked to find solutions. Ahead of Indian Wells, they made some progress, but after Miami and weighing everything, Swiatek decided it was time for a change.

The reset point has now become the clay season. Roig is accompanying Swiatek to Germany, where the Stuttgart Open will begin on April 13. This would be the first test of what this partnership can yield with Roland Garros in sight at the end of May.

To Roig, winning the fifth French Open with Iga would be one of the iconic moments in the history of coaching. In the case of Swiatek, it is somewhat symmetrical to see the man who contributed to Nadal’s clay court supremacy in her corner as she pursues a fifth Roland Garros title.