Rafael Nadal’s former coach Francisco Roig joins Sloane Stephens a week after parting ways with the Spaniard

Rafael Nadal's former coach Francisco Roig has joined Sloane Stephens as her new full time coach.

Rafael Nadal, Francisco Roig, Sloane Stephens

Rafael Nadal’s former coach and childhood mentor, Francisco Roig has joined 2017 US Open champion Sloane Stephens as her new full-time coach after his long-time partnership with Nadal ended last week. World No 37 Sloane Stephens announced the news on Twitter and shared the excitement for an upcoming ‘successful journey together’.

Roig, alongside Nadal’s uncle Toni, has been instrumental in Spaniard’s success on the court for almost two decades. Last week, Nadal announced that they are parting ways without elaborating on the reasons. Moving on, Nadal has already named Gustavo Marcaccio as the replacement for Roig. So naturally, Roig too has taken up the new assignment without any delay.

Announcing the news with some excitement, Stephens wrote on Twitter, “Happy to have Francis Roig join my team as my new coach! Here’s to a successful journey together, let’s get to work.” She also shared a picture of her with Roig and a Spanish version of the announcement. As the new season is about to start, Stephens will be hoping to make a return to the top of the rankings with the help of new coach Roig.

FS Video

Happy to have Francis Roig join my team as my new coach! Here's to a successful journey together, let's get to work ✨

Muy contenta de comunicaros que Francis Roig será mi entrenador esta temporada ✨ pic.twitter.com/lr1JOGfqkY
— sloanestephens (@SloaneStephens) December 21, 2022

Though Roigs joined Stephens’ team as the full-time coach now, he has also worked with her previously on a casual basis. So, it didn’t come as a surprise when the 29-year-old announced that Nadal’s longtime mentor had become part of her team on Wednesday.

Rafael Nadal’s partnership with Francisco ‘Francis’ Roig; New coach

*Gustavo Marcaccio (middle right) in Rafael Nadal’s team* *(Image: ATP Tour)*

Retired Spanish tennis professional Francisco Roig had been with Rafael Nadal for nearly two decades. The 54-year-old Roig joined Nadal’s coaching team as an alternative coach way back in 2005 and has been an integral part of his team alongside his uncle Toni Nadal. Both coaches working together have helped Nadal scale unprecedented heights in tennis.

Ahead of the 2023 season, Nadal decided to part ways with Roig and made the announcement last week. Soon after Nadal appointed Argentina’s Gustavo Marcaccio to fill the Roig’s place, calling him ‘a good addition to the team’. “It will surely help us a lot to continue on the path,” Nadal shared the news on Instagram.

Marcaccio has a longtime experience working as a coach. He previously coached fellow countryman Guido Pella from 2016-18 and has been the sub-captain for the Argentina Davis Cup team since 2018. Argentines Juan Monaco, Maximo Gonzalez, and Russian former Svetlana Kuznetsova are some players he has previously worked with. It will be interesting to watch how his partnership with the 22-time Grand Slam champion pans out in the coming seasons.