With Rafael Nadal a phone call away, Iga Swiatek began her Madrid Open campaign in familiarly destructive fashion.
A difficult start to the season prompted the former world number one to change her coaching set-up, parting ways with Wim Fissette and turning to Francisco Roig, whose long-term role in Nadal’s team has been followed by several much shorter stints, including with Emma Raducanu.
Having split from the British number one after the Australian Open, Roig had linked up with Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard but ditched the Frenchman when Swiatek came calling.
A devoted fan of Nadal growing up, Swiatek admitted to being somewhat giddy when she spent a training block at the Spaniard’s academy in Majorca and received coaching advice from the 22-time grand slam champion.
He does not have a formal role, with Swiatek saying after a 6-1 6-2 victory over Ukraine’s Daria Snigur: “I don’t know if he’s watching or not, I know he’s super busy, even more busy I think than when he played.
“We’re not in constant touch but I know I can always ask him anything if I want so this is really comforting and it also shows how good of a person he is.”
Swiatek has not made it beyond the quarter-finals of any tournament so far this season, with her first event under Roig seeing her lose in the last eight in Stuttgart last week.
The biggest change she has made since linking up with the Spaniard is to her service motion, which yielded positive results against Snigur.
“Today I felt like this was it and I just need to keep doing that, keep focusing on it and remembering the right movement,” said the fourth seed, who won her only title in Madrid two years ago.
“A week in Majorca is not enough for the body to remember the movement. Today for sure was a step forward.”
Defending champion Aryna Sabalenka is also through to the third round after seeing off Peyton Stearns in her first match of the season on clay.
The world number one took three weeks away from competition after completing the Sunshine Double by winning the Miami Open and looked a little rusty but battled to a 7-5 6-3 victory.
Swiatek, meanwhile, expressed disappointment at the news Portia Archer has stepped down as WTA chief executive after less than two years in the role.
“I was surprised,” said the Pole. “I really don’t know why now. We always had a good relationship, I felt like she listened to what we had to say and was really open-minded.”
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