The Pole practised with 13-time Roland Garros winner Nadal for the first time.
She may be the reigning French Open champion, but Iga Swiatek said she had to “write some small topics” of conversation down before practising with Rafael Nadal ahead of her title defence this week.
The Pole, who celebrated her 20th birthday with a 6-0, 7-5 win over good friend Kaja Juvan in the first round on Monday, practised with 13-time Roland Garros winner Nadal for the first time.
“It was great. It wasn’t a surprise because I had to prepare,” said Swiatek.
“Write some small topics, not to have awkward silence. But Rafa is really, really great. He’s a really nice guy. Even though I am pretty introverted, it was really fun for me.
“Obviously I got to feel his forehand, which was great, and his top-spin.
“That was a whole new experience for me. It gave me a lot of positive energy. It was really a huge inspiration for me.”
