Iga Swiatek reveals idol Rafael Nadal’s one quality that ‘impresses’ her the most

Iga Swiatek launched an interactive website to connect with her fans by offering insights into her off-court interests.

Iga Swiatek reveals idol Rafael Nadal’s one quality that ‘impresses’ her the most

Rafael Nadal, Iga Swiatek (Image via X)

Iga Swiatek idolizes Rafael Nadal, and it’s no secret. The Pole who suffered a quarterfinal exit at the Dubai Open will soon be in action at the Indian Wells.

Ahead of her next tournament on North American soil, Swiatek launched her new website. The website promises to answer the very simple questions she is often asked by journalists, such as which songs she listens to before tournaments, her favorite books, and the ones she reads every year.

YouTube video

And her biggest sports inspiration, unsurprisingly, is the 22-time Grand Slam champion Nadal. Apart from him being one of the greatest athletes of all time, what impressed Swiatek the most was the kind of person the King of Clay is.

FS Video

Mastery in sports is one thing, but what impresses me the most is what values he lives by and what kind of person he is despite his incredible success. This is definitely the path I would like to follow.

Iga Swiatek wrote on her website

Like Nadal, Swiatek too has become a reckoning force on clay, for she has already added four (and three consecutive) French Open titles to her trophy cabinet. The 38-year-old, after years of struggles due to injury problems, bade his farewell to tennis in last year’s Davis Cup Finals.

Aryna Sabalenka reacts to Iga Swiatek’s coaching offer

During her campaign in Dubai, Iga Swiatek, among several other WTA players, was asked about which rivals they would choose as their coach. The questions were asked following Andy Murray‘s addition to Novak Djokovic‘s entourage. Murray joined the Serb’s team about four months after retirement from tennis.

Aryna Sabalenka, Iga Swiatek
Aryna Sabalenka, Iga Swiatek (Image via WTA/X)

So when Swiatek was asked who she wanted to add to her team, her answer was Andrea Petkovic. The 23-year-old then picked World No.1 Aryna Sabalenka because she is three years youngster than the Belarusian, so the latter is likely to retire before Swiatek. Sabalenka, however, joked that she’s not sure about the coaching offer.

I’m not sure about that. Probably because of my crazy experience, I could help with the mental part of the game. But once again, I’m not sure about that.

Aryna Sabalenka wrote on Instagram story

Both Sabalenka and Swiatek were last seen in action at the Dubai Open. While Sabalenka fell to eventual finalist Clara Tauson in the round of 16, Swiatek was defeated by eventual winner Mirra Andreeva in the quarterfinals.

Sabalenka already has clinched her first title of the season at the Brisbane International. But the five-time Grand Slam champion is still searching for her first title since winning the 2024 French Open.