Iga Swiatek is a huge fan of Rafael Nadal, and she spoke about that after her most recent win at the 2024 Italian Open.
The Polish player often mentions how she idolized Nadal growing up because he was at his peak when she was getting started in tennis. She's been inspired by the Spanish legend both on and off the court, and it just shows how much respect she has for him.
She recently admitted that she cried heavily while watching Nadal's Madrid Open ceremony, which shows how attached she is to her idol. It was an emotional ceremony because it reminded her that he was likely going to leave the sport soon.
It will be a sad day for everybody in tennis, including Swiatek, but she's cherishing these moments while he's still here. Nadal keeps inspiring her, and she tries to emulate him on the court, but when asked about him in Rome, she explained that it's difficult to take anything from him on the tennis court, as men's game is just so much different.
"Well, it's not like I'm really focusing on that because he's a guy, he has different powers, different strengths. I'm never going to be able to spin the ball the way he spins I. It's good to look at his forehand, for example, as an example, how he's using this spin to make a difference. Also his backhand is pretty flat. I think we have many similarities in that case."
Another important thing that Swiatek mentioned in the press conference is that she looks up to him as a person, even more so than as a tennis player, which just shows how beloved Nadal is among fellow players and people in general.
"Overall I'm his fan more because of how he behaves. This is something that I try to look up to more."
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