Iga Swiatek revealed Rafael Nadal once gifted her with a practice session for birthday and also told a story about how the Spaniard reacted after one of his French Open losses
The 23-year-old, who is already a four-time French Open winner, grew up idolizing the Spanish tennis icon. And shortly after turning pro and becoming a Major champion at Roland Garros in 2020, the Pole also saw another one of her dreams come true after meeting her favorite player.
“So I remember we practiced in Roland Garros once. That was actually like a gift for my birthday. So we hit for like 15 minutes and I realized that he’s really down to earth and humble. That was the first time I talked to him so it was special,” Swiatek said on Tennis Channel.
Swiatek: I cried because of Nadal’s loss, but he was calm…
In 2021, the Spaniard suffered his third French Open defeat after Novak Djokovic ousted him in the semifinal 3-6 6-3 7-6 (4) 6-2.
The Polish tennis star – who also didn’t manage to defend her title at Roland Garros that year – met Nadal shortly after his loss. And after asking him how he felt, Swiatek couldn’t believe how calm he was and how easily he accepted what happened.
“Then I remember in 2021, he lost the semifinals against Novak and…
