Iga Swiatek praises new coach Francisco Roig for Italian Open performance

Iga Swiatek has said that she and Francisco Roig have clicked from day one, despite failure in the first two tournaments in Germany and Spain.

Swiatek defeated Naomi Osaka by 6-2, 6-1 to reach the quarter-final of the Italian Open, and it looked like she was back in form.

The six-time Grand Slam winner has not been in great form this year and has yet to reach a semi-final on the WTA Tour. She won her last title at Wimbledon in July 2025.

Swiatek announced Roig as a coach on 2nd April, and the first two tournaments they played were not successful.

However, after reaching the quarter-final of the Italian Open, Iga Swiatek explained her partnership with Roig and said he is the kind of coach she needed.

“Honestly, I felt like I understood Francis from the beginning. I guess it also depends on the specific, like, relationship you have with the coach,” she explained.

“But I think any player wants a coach like with a good eye, a clear plan of what to do, how to achieve that. Francis has a really nice touch in terms of also, like, adjusting the practice to what the player needs right now. Also he’s aware of kind of all the factors that are coming in.

“It all kind of clicks together, I would say, both physical, mental and technical part on the practices. You know that he’s aware of all of these. It’s nice.”

The Polish tennis star was eliminated in the quarter-finals of the Australian Open and tournaments in Doha and Indian Wells before losing to Magda Linette in the second round of the Miami Open in March.

Following a rough period, Swiatek parted ways with her coach, Wim Fissette and hired Roig, who is the former coach of her idol, Rafael Nadal.