Iga Swiatek has never backed away from admitting that she is a big fan of Rafael Nadal. She has always been quite vocal about the same and is following in his footsteps, winning three of the last four editions of the French Open.
The similarities in their results and preferences with regard to court surfaces have led to fans identifying more of a connection between the two.
Rafael Nadal and Iga Swiatek(Image via Eurosport)
In a recent interview, World No. 1 was asked to express her thoughts about the Madrid Open possibly being one of the last tournaments that she plays in which her idol Nadal will also be competing.
In response to this, Iga Swiatek gave a firm answer, saying Nadal should do what he feels is best for him. She also hinted that fans should not expect anything extraordinary and just enjoy watching him play, as she feels Nadal has to take care of himself and that should be the utmost priority.
He is very professional, but I don't know how my brain would respond to knowing that I am playing my last game. I just want people to take it easy and let him do it his way. People expect him to do something spectacular, but, honestly, Rafa has to take care of himself and I hope he does.Iga Swiatek in the interview
Her perspective on the situation gives more insight into the thoughts of professional tennis players who are at the very top. The answer she provided reflects her understanding of the situation, with many siding with her opinion.
That’s not all; Nadal himself also seems to feel the same way about his upcoming matches and tournaments, saying that he is unsure about his participation at his best event, the French Open.
Rafael Nadal gears up to face one of the toughest draws at the Madrid Open
Rafael Nadal started off his campaign at what may be his last run at the Madrid Masters this week. He did not face much resistance from the sixteen-year-old wildcard Darwin Blanch in the first round, winning 6-1, 6-0.
However, in his next rounds at the tournament, if he does progress, Nadal will have to get past some big obstacles. Just as the Madrid draws were released, fans took to social media to voice their thoughts about who had the most difficult matchups.
Almost all of them seemed to agree that Nadal potentially has to face the most challenging opponents if he hopes to win the title. Since the King of Clay has dropped out of the top 500 in rankings, it was expected that he would have to face seeded players early in the tournament.
In his second-round match tomorrow, the Spaniard faces World No. 11 Alex De Minaur, who had gotten the better of him last week, in Barcelona.
If Nadal does get past this round, his projected draw stands as follows: Frances Tiafoe in round 3, Stefanos Tsitsipas in round 4, Daniil Medvedev in the quarterfinal, Jannik Sinner in the semifinal, and Carlos Alcaraz in the final.
