"Rafael Nadal has always been my idol, I have pretty sad memories of RG last year because I was crying when Rafa lost against Novak Djokovic" - Iga Swiatek
Iga Swiatek has made no secret of the fact that Rafael Nadal is her idol, and she established that fact once again in a recent interview with Eurosport France. The WTA World No. 1 revealed that she was "pretty sad" after watching the 21-time Grand Slam champion lose in the semifinals against Novak Djokovic at last year's Roland Garros.
Facing off against Djokovic, the four-time defending champion fell in a four-set epic that lasted four hours and 10 minutes. In addition to marking the Mallorcan's first loss in the semifinals of the tournament in 14 appearances, it was also the first time he lost a match at the French Open after winning the first set.
Djokovic-Nadal 2021 Roland Garros Semifinal 3rd set: greatness. Unforgettable.
Speaking to Eurosport France, Swiatek remarked that her emotions during the 2021 Roland Garros match between the duo was in direct contrast to how she felt after watching their 2020 duel. Two years ago, the Spaniard scored a straight-sets victory over the Serb in the final, even serving up a bagel in the first set to bring up his 20th Major.
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Rafael Nadal beats Novak Djokovic 6-0, 6-2, 7-5 to win Roland Garros for a 13th time. Unbelievable. https://t.co/kLjOjnvKFN
That same year, the Pole triumphed in the women's singles in Paris without dropping a set to notch up her maiden Grand Slam title. Swiatek recalled how she watched the men's final in the same dress she wore during her trophy photoshoot since she didn't want anything to get in the way of watching her idol in action.
"Rafael Nadal has always been my idol. I have pretty sad memories of Roland Garros last year because I was crying when Rafa lost against Novak [Djokovic]. But two years ago, I was watching the final. I had the trophy photoshoot [after I won the women's title]," Swiatek said.
"I was wearing this really nice long dress and went to see the final like this. It was nice because I didn't get the chance to see [Nadal] play so often. I wanted to use that occasion," she added.
Nadal's approach to mentality is fascinating: a case study on the relationship between insecurity, training and confidence. https://t.co/5jIZj2n9RW
Iga Swiatek revealed that she considers her sister Agata Swiatek, who also played tennis in her junior years, to be her biggest inspiration, even more so than Nadal. But as far as her professional career goes, the 20-year-old revealed that she drew on the World No. 4's mental strength as well as parts of his playstyle to model her game after.
"In everyday life, I think my sister had the biggest influence because she was the one I was watching every day. I wanted to be like her, like every younger sibling. But [Nadal] for sure he inspired me a lot," Swiatek said. "I had a lot of fun watching him play on TV. Basically, his mental strength is the main thing I wanted to take from him. I wanted to play topspin like him, too. He is the reason why I play like this," Swiatek said.
"I see my career plan like Rafael Nadal; I feel closest to this approach" - Iga Swiatek
During the interview, Iga Swiatek also asserted that Rafael Nadal's approach to the game was something she felt most comfortable with. The World No. 1 was in awe of how the Spaniard focussed on the "day-to-day" work instead of on records, adding that it was the attitude that worked best for her too.
"[I see my career plan as] like Rafa [Nadal]. I feel closest to this approach. I want to focus on my day-to-day work," Swiatek said. "It's important, it's the most clear situation for me. If I start thinking about records, or 'I want to be the first in this, the first to do that', it's not good for me."
"Pain? No, It's not about having pain, It's not a goal for me not to have pain, I don't pretend to play without pain, The only thing that I pretend is to play without limitations"
The Stoic Approach of Rafael Nadal on managing chronic pain. https://t.co/WA1sXgkZP7
While Swiatek admitted that she understood other players' approach, like Novak Djokovic openly declaring that he wanted to break records, she was of the opinion that it would be too suffocating for her in the long run.
"I don't want to be like I'm always chasing something. So focus on the day-by-day, the next match. It helps me to stay calm. Don't waste energy on other stuff," Swiatek said. "But everyone is different so I can also understand Novak [Djokovic's] way [of openly declaring which records he wants to break]."