Iga Swiatek Aims to Emulate ‘All-Surface GOAT’ Rafael Nadal

Aman Deep Patel5 hours ago

World No. 2 Iga Swiatek has once again expressed her admiration for Rafael Nadal, revealing that she hopes to follow in his footsteps by dominating across all surfaces in professional tennis.

Swiatek, who has long cited Nadal as her idol, has already built an impressive legacy at the French Open, winning four of the last five editions. However, the 23-year-old star now wants to expand her dominance beyond the clay courts of Roland Garros.

Swiatek on Learning From Nadal

In a recent interview with The Athletic, Swiatek praised Nadal’s versatile game and the way he adapted to different surfaces.

🗣️ Swiatek on Nadal: “It’s good to look at his forehand as an example, how he’s using spin to make a difference. Also, his backhand is pretty flat. I think we have many similarities in that case.”

Beyond his technique, she admires Nadal’s mentality and sportsmanship, which she strives to emulate.

“Overall, I’m his fan more because of how he behaves. This is something that I try to look up to more.”

Nadal’s Influence on Swiatek’s All-Surface Goal

Despite being widely regarded as the King of Clay, Nadal proved his greatness across all surfaces, winning 22 Grand Slam titles, including two at Wimbledon and four at the US and Australian Opens combined.

Swiatek believes that Nadal is the GOAT (Greatest of All Time) on every surface, and she is determined to prove she can be the same.

🗣️ Swiatek on Nadal’s Legacy: “It was the same with Rafa. Everybody always talked about clay, but he’s the GOAT basically on every surface.”

While Swiatek’s topspin-heavy game thrives on clay, she is confident that she has the weapons to dominate on hard courts as well.

“On hard courts, I feel like I’m a good player as well. And I feel like I have my weapons and I can use them. I want to be an all-surface player for sure.”

Swiatek’s Recent Coaching Change & Future Goals

To help her achieve this goal, Swiatek made a significant coaching change last year, replacing Tomasz Wiktorowski with Wim Fissette in October 2024.

She explained how Fissette is helping her return to her roots and refine her approach across all surfaces.

🗣️ “We are working in a different way a little bit, in terms of getting back to my roots.”

With five Grand Slam titles already under her belt and an evolving all-court game, Swiatek is on track to cement her place as one of the greats of the sport—and perhaps, like Nadal, a true all-surface champion.