Rafael Nadal‘s profound influence transcends the sphere of the men’s circuit. On the women’s side, Iga Świątek is also a huge fan of the 22-time singles Grand Slam champion, who has often inspired her with his sheer brilliance on the court. Speaking about his idol’s comeback in the upcoming season, Swiatek recently expressed her excitement in an endearing confession.
The ‘King of the Clay’ was on the sidelines throughout the 2023 season owing to his injury woes that required surgery. Now that he is all geared up for a robust comeback, Iga Swiatek recently opened up about her wish for her idol, as the Spaniard will be returning to the tennis court after a lengthy hiatus.
Iga Swiatek is all excited about Rafael Nadal’s comeback
The current world No. 2 player, Iga Swiatek, is presently gracing the courts of the World Tennis League exhibition event taking place in Abu Dhabi. During her campaign, she also talked about both returnees, Rafael Nadal and Naomi Osaka, as they will be returning after their lengthy absences.
While revealing how Nadal has always served as an inspirational figure for her, she spoke about her one wish for her idol. She said, “Rafa obviously is a huge inspiration for me, so I just hope he’s going to play nicely,“ she said at Yas Island’s Etihad Arena.
Apart from her idol, Iga Swiatek revealed that she is really ‘happy‘ about the highly anticipated comebacks of her Japanese colleague, Naomi Osaka. While expressing her curiosity to see her rival’s levels after her lengthy break, the Pole opened up about how they may face each other on the court.
Swiatek on her Japanese colleague, Osaka’s robust comeback
The four-time Grand Slam champion has also missed out on this entire 2023 season after embarking on a motherhood journey. Now, after giving birth to her daughter Shai, the Japanese WTA player is all geared up for her tennis duties in the upcoming season. Osaka will be participating in the Brisbane International after being awarded a wildcard entry.
Emphasizing her stellar comeback, Swiatek stated, “Naomi, we may play against each other, so it’s pretty funny but I’m happy that she’s back and she could fulfill her other goals.” While asserting that she could face her Japanese colleague, the 22-year-old revealed that she is delighted about her return to the court.
