Swiatek gives her verdict on working with Francis Roig

Iga Swiatek has not been able to finish the season as she would have liked and seems to have entered a deep valley in her professional career. Out of the WTA Finals and without any Grand Slam titles to her name, the Polish player has embarked on a metamorphosis of her tennis alongside Francis Roig, which is a long-term process that requires patience and bravery on her part.

In those terms, she spoke during an event in front of media in China. It was there that Iga Swiatek announced that the injury she suffered in the semifinals of the Wuhan tournament would prevent her from competing in Ningbo. 

When asked about her professional relationship with Francis Roig, her coach since early April, the Polish player expressed confidence that they are on the right track and dispelled any hint of doubt about the continuation of this professional romance, which has been seeded from Poland in recent weeks.

https://t.co/14ws2xNKFJ Iga talks about her coach https://t.co/oeioAKMvx0

— Igamisu (@1gatekPH) October 23, 2026

Maximum confidence in Francis Roig and long-term vision

"When you choose a coach, you need to have some confidence because you can never know for sure if they will be the right person for you. I think that after a couple of months you start to see clearly what their game idea is. We had already talked before meeting in person, and I liked his vision."

"I had also heard many good things about Francis, which allowed me to better understand what he is like as a person. From the very beginning, he was willing to engage fully: he wanted to start traveling with me to many tournaments and knew exactly what he had to do to help me change my game and adapt it to what I was looking for. I liked that a lot."

"When a coach is so committed, it’s easier for the player to trust them and dare to introduce changes in their game, even if they don’t come naturally at first. I am very happy that we are working together. I think everything is going very well."

Aspects that need improvement in her tennis

"It’s true that I have worked with several coaches in a short time, including others during last year and this year, before starting to work with Francis. Each one has their own vision and understanding of tennis, but developing my game is a broader process. That also gives you some peace of mind because even if things go wrong for a week, you know you are working with a long-term perspective."

"I am very clear about the aspects I need to improve. They have always been serving and perhaps volleying a bit more, in addition to approaching the net more often. But everything takes time."

"In tennis, it is not easy to introduce many changes and constantly evolve because for a large part of the season you have to focus on adapting to the conditions of each place. We don’t have long preparation periods, like in other sports, where they can have two or three months of preseason. For us, it’s more complicated."

"I think those are the most obvious aspects I need to improve, but the reality is that every month small details arise that you have to adjust. It’s about continuing to evolve as a tennis player and at the same time being ready to compete in the next tournament and perform at your best in the present."

The winner of 6 Grand Slam titles at the age of 25 is fully aware that this difficult time in her career could ultimately be the best impetus for modifying aspects of her game that will make her more competitive. Having the humility to look at the long term and trust in Francis Roig clearly speaks to Iga Swiatek's willingness to step out of her comfort zone and keep improving.

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Swiatek da su veredicto sobre el trabajo junto a Francis Roig