Iga Swiatek’s decision to hire Francisco Roig as her new coach came as no surprise and we may also have a good idea of the approach he will take in his latest role.
Emma Raducanu’s move to part company with Roig after the Australian Open in January became an inevitability after the 2021 US Open champion suggested she was not embracing the tactics he was encouraging her to deploy on court.
Raducanu believes her best route to success at the top of the game was by going toe-to-toe with the biggest hitters in women’s tennis, in what many have suggested is a misguided belief that she can come out on top.
Recent matches against Iga Swiatek, Elena Rybakina and Amanda Anisimova would offer an alternative version of reality for the British No 1, as she has been comprehensively beaten by those three power hitters.
That explains why Roig was keen to introduce some variety to Raducanu’s game, as he encouraged her to come to the net, vary the flight of her ball and make use of the drop shot when the time was right.
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Raducanu was not on board with that advice and on that basis, there was no basis for that partnership to continue.
Now, Swiatek has hired Roig and after spending time on court with Rafael Nadal and her new mentor in recent days, it’s clear that the four-time French Open champion is keen to get back on track after a troubled 12 months.
Swiatek’s thrilling victory at Wimbledon last July ensured this period of her career has still included a career-defining highlight, but the aura the Polish player took onto court when she was world No 1 and at the peak of her powers has been chipped away.
Swiatek’s period of dominance came when she was blasting opponents off court, with power hitting from the baseline too much for the rest to handle.
Her habit of inflicting 6-0 sets on her rivals was in the mind of her rivals when she got off to a fast start in matches, with Anisimova’s collapse in last year’s Wimbledon final, when she failed to win a game, highlighting Swiatek’s front-running brilliance.
However, her opponents have discovered over the last 12 months that Swiatek can be vulnerable when the tide of a match is not flowing in her direction, with scoreboard pressure proving to be a big weapon for players who have stayed close to the seven-time Grand Slam champion.
By her lofty standards, Swiatek has a poor clay court campaign in 2025, with her setbacks on the red dirt she has excelled on for so many years coming against Aryna Sabalenka in the French Open semi-finals, as she lost the last set of that match 6-0.
She has also looked troubled in the opening weeks of 2026 and a defeat in her first match at the Miami Open triggered a parting of the ways with coach Wim Fissette.
Roig’s arrival in her camp suggests Swiatek is prepared to embrace change, as it’s likely that he will be preaching the same script Raducanu was not willing to embrace.
Swiatek’s big hitting from the back of the court will always be her biggest weapon, but if she can improve her serving accuracy and add in layers of variety to her game under Roig’s watch, a more complete player could emerge.
Time will tell whether Raducanu can defy logic and overpower opponents who hit the ball with more power and accuracy, but this move by Swiatek confirms a serial winner is prepared to consider an alternative approach as she looks to begin a new chapter in her career.
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