Madison Keys & Jessica Pegula Scared After Iga Swiatek Seeks Rafael Nadal’s Clay Expertise To Regain Lost Glory

Iga Swiatek hasn’t made a good start to the 2026 season, but that could soon change, fear fellow WTA stars Madison Keys and Jessica Pegula. Out of her six Grand Slams, Swiatek has won four of them at Roland Garros.

In order to prepare for her potential fifth Roland Garros title, Swiatek is preparing with the best man tennis has seen on clay. 14-time French Open champion Rafael Nadal is training and advising Swiatek at his tennis academy. Videos of the same involving both tennis stars, along with Swiatek’s new head coach, are doing the rounds on the internet.

The Player’s Box podcast co-hosts Keys and Pegula recently reacted to the video as they fear the potential return of Swiatek to form this clay season.

“The last thing we needed Iga to have on the clay was Rafa,” Madison said, before adding, “Do you ever feel like there’s a level of Rafa that is just Rafa? Or do you ever think that sometimes he’s like watching all of us and he’s like, ‘Why are they just not better?’ I mean, I feel like within five seconds of me on clay, he’d be like, ‘Why are you so close to the baseline? Like, move back.’ And I’d be like, but ‘I can’t run like you.'”

Pegula also thinks that with Swiatek learning from a tennis great, it should make many players nervous.

“I saw the clip of them on the clay and I was like, this is bad for everybody. I know, I was like, oh god,” Swiatek said. “On the clip with Iga, did you guys see the clip where it looked like she missed a ball? And then she walked back and he was talking, like explaining something. And that’s literally like what Maddie was saying, I would be so nervous. That was like, I literally looked like she missed a shot. And that was the first thing that came into my head.”

Iga Swiatek Asked to Follow Rafael Nadal’s Advice to the Letter

Iga Swiatek’s training sessions in Mallorca have ignited intrigue among fans and analysts alike. Many are commenting that it was the right move from Swiatek to bring in Francisco Roig just ahead of the clay season, as the coach’s prior association with Rafael Nadal has allowed the Polish star to learn from the best.

Serena Williams’ former coach, Rick Macci, has asked Swiatek to follow Nadal’s advice for the clay season.

“Every word from Rafa is a gold nugget because on the dirt he is the best of the best that ever held the stick,” Macci wrote on X. “Where he can flip the Iga script is not so much strategically but mentally. If the Polish Punisher can get her identity back between the ears she will come all the way back.”

Swiatek is currently busy preparing for the Madrid Open as she aims to do well in tournaments leading to Roland Garros.

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