Iga Swiatek Draws Astonishing Parallels to Idol Rafael Nadal as Ex-Pro Unveils Her True On-Court Prowess

“He was the only player I watched, so I don’t know if I’m going to watch tennis at all now,” said Iga Swiatek when she expressed her true emotions on her idol Rafael Nadal’s retirement. The 22-time Grand Slam champion said goodbye to tennis after playing his final match in the Davis Cup last week. Being an inspirational figure for Swiatek, he’s had a huge influence on her. So much so, that one former WTA pro believes that Iga is, in fact, a mirror image of Rafa. There’s one common factor between them that makes them great and better than the others.

While sharing thoughts on Rafael Nadal‘s retirement, former German player Andrea Petkovic shed light one a key factor that she finds in Iga Swiatek too. Speaking in an episode of the Rennae Stubbs Podcast, dated November 26th, Petkovic tried to explain how she thinks the Pole is basically an extension of Nadal’s personality on the tennis court. But how? Per the former WTA pro, Nadal’s quality that separated him away from his contemporaries was his urge to not lose any point and keep giving his best until he won. And that feeling of winning in the end gave him relief that he succeeded and didn’t concede a defeat. “And Iga is the same,” said Petkovic. “I agree 100%. I think Iga is psychologically the same person as Rafa. And that’s why she’s also so hard to beat, because she has this every point mentality,” she added.