After parting ways with Wim Fissette less than a year after winning her first Wimbledon title, Iga Swiatek is set for a trial run with Francisco Roig ahead of the clay season.
The former World No. 1, who endured a regressive 2025 season and has made a below-par start to 2026, was reportedly training at the Rafa Nadal Academy in preparation for the clay swing. She now looks set to add a familiar name from that environment to her team in Roig.
Roig’s Coaching Journey Since Nadal
While Roig will always be closely associated with Rafael Nadal, having spent 17 years as the Spaniard’s assistant coach during a period that yielded 22 Grand Slam titles, his post-Nadal coaching stints have been relatively short-lived.
His first project after leaving Nadal was with Matteo Berrettini, a partnership that lasted around 10 months. He then worked with Emma Raducanu, a collaboration that initially showed promise and delivered some strong performances before unexpectedly ending at the start of 2026 due to reported technical differences.
Most recently, Roig had been coaching rising French big server Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard, but has now parted ways to make himself available for Swiatek.
A Trial With Clay Season in Focus
While official confirmation is still awaited from Swiatek’s camp, reports suggest that the partnership will begin with a trial period, likely spanning the clay season–a surface where both Roig as a coach and Swiatek as a player have historically thrived.
Swiatek notably failed to win a title on her favorite surface last year, something she will be determined to change as she looks to re-establish herself as a dominant force on tour, much like she was between 2022 and 2024.
Now ranked World No. 4, the Pole is currently set to begin her clay campaign at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart in two weeks’ time, potentially marking the beginning of a new chapter–with Roig, at least for now, in her corner.
Main Photo Credit: Susan Mullane-USA TODAY Sports
