Iga Swiatek reveals which Rafael Nadal loss made her cry as she recalls memorable chat with her idol
Iga Swiatek has recalled the “special” occasion when she spoke to Rafael Nadal for the first time and practised with her idol at the French Open.
The Polish star also shed light on a conversation she had with Nadal after his defeat to Novak Djokovic at Roland Garros in 2021 and divulged that the match made her cry.
Nadal, who played his first professional match in 2001, will call time on his amazing career after this week’s Davis Cup Final 8 stage in Malaga. Spain will face the Netherlands in the quarter-finals today, and it is yet to be confirmed whether Nadal will feature in singles or doubles.
The 38-year-old Spaniard won his 92nd and final career title at the 2022 French Open, beating Casper Ruud in the final to secure his 14th Roland Garros crown and 22nd Grand Slam overall.
At the 2021 French Open, Nadal was beaten by his great rival Djokovic in an epic four-set semi-final — his first defeat at the Paris Grand Slam since 2015. This was one of just four losses the former world No 1 suffered in his 116 Roland Garros matches.
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In an interview with Tennis Channel, Swiatek shared some of her standout Nadal memories ahead of the King of Clay’s farewell.
“So I remember we practised in Roland Garros once,” the world No 2 said. “That was actually like a gift for my birthday.
“So we hit for like 15 minutes and I realised that he’s really down to earth and humble. That was the first time I talked to him so it was special.
“Then I remember in 2021, he lost the semi-finals [of the French Open] against Novak and I saw him, because we were all staying at the same hotel because of the COVID.
“I saw him somewhere in the hotel and I told him that I even cried when he lost. He was so calm and he said, ‘That’s just tennis and life goes on and there are gonna be different goals in the future.’
“So I was like, ‘Wow, this person really knows how to deal with losing, even your favourite tournament.’ I realised that off the court you also need to learn on how to deal with stuff to be a better player on the court.”
The five-time Grand Slam champion also spoke about dealing with Nadal’s shots in the practice session.
“Honestly, down the middle, I don’t think he was playing 100%,” Swiatek added. “It was fine, I could actually make it. But when I was supposed to run, it was impossible, like the top spin made it go even further from me, so it was tough for sure.”
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