Rafa Nadal influence credited as Iga Swiatek marches into French Open fourth round

Swiatek secured a 6-4, 6-4 victory in a controlled performance, gaining a measure of revenge after Linette had beaten her at the Miami Open earlier this year.

The world No. 3 now faces a tricky last-16 clash against Marta Kostyuk, who extended her winning streak on clay to 15 matches with a straight-sets win over Viktorija Golubic.

After claiming her third win of the tournament, Swiatek also reflected on how training with Rafael Nadal earlier this year has helped sharpen her game at Roland Garros.

"There was some technical tips, but the most you can take from Rafa actually is his approach to the game and also him showing it's not always easy," said Swiatek during her on-court interview.

"It's like on TV when he lifts his trophy, there's a lot behind the scenes. Even the best players in the world sometimes struggle. He used to get over it and work on this stuff and never give up.

"Rafa is the perfect example of that and he could also share some stories with me, which is amazing because he's really open to give advice and I really appreciate it."

Swiatek and Nadal worked with each other at the beginning of the clay court swing, just after the Pole confirmed the end of her working relationship with Wim Fissette.

The World No. 3 has subsequently begun working with Francisco Roig, who worked as part of Nadal's team for much of his dominance at the very top of the ATP Tour.

Roig had previously worked with Emma Raducanu and Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard this year, but his work with Swiatek is a marked step up as a head coach.

Swiatek and Roig have worked together in Stuttgart, Madrid, and Rome so far, but she is yet to lift a trophy under the tutelage of the Spanish coach.

However, the Pole has plenty of experience of lifting trophies at Roland Garros and she is considered one of the favourites to do so again at the Paris event.

Swiatek has won Roland Garros four times, including a remarkable three titles in a row between 2022 and 2024. She also lifted the trophy for the first time in 2020 by defeating Sofia Kenin in the final.

The star's only defeat at the Grand Slam in the last five years came against Aryna Sabalenka, who knocked her out of the semi-finals in three sets to end her time in the competition.

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