"Iga Swiatek had little interest in tennis as a teenager, but the one exception was Rafael Nadal. She spent her formative years idolising the Spaniard, who won 22 majors and, from afar, soon became one of his most avid students."
"Not even Swiatek's significant achievements, which include 125 weeks at No 1 and six grand slam titles, prepared her for the sensation of being on court with her idol: The first 15 minutes of practice, I was so tight, says Swiatek, laughing."
"The novelty of being coached by Nadal soon waned as Swiatek, who will be 25 at the end of May, trained her focus on the significant challenges ahead."
Iga Swiatek, initially uninterested in tennis, idolized Rafael Nadal during her youth. His influence is evident in her powerful forehand, contributing to her four French Open titles by age 23. Recently, she began training at Nadal's academy with his former coach, Francisco Roig. Despite her achievements, Swiatek felt nervous practicing with Nadal, acknowledging the pressure of performing in front of her idol. As she prepares for upcoming challenges, the novelty of their coaching relationship has transitioned into focused training.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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