Swiatek on being compared to Nadal: “We’ll see in 14 years if the journey is similar”

If Rafael Nadal is the King of Clay, Iga Swiatek is the Queen of Clay.

Of course, any specific comparisons will have to wait a while. After all, the 38-year-old Nadal has racked up 14 Roland-Garros titles among his 22 Grand Slams; the 22-year-old Swiatek has won four slams overall and three on the terre battue of Paris.

But given her young age and overwhelming current dominance on this surface, Swiatek could be well on her way to a Nadal-like haul of trophies. Following her 6-2, 6-4 win over Coco Gauff in the semi-finals on Thursday, the world No 1 was asked about being compared to her favorite ATP player.

“We’ll see in 14 years if the journey is similar,” Swiatek responded. “I mean, that’s obviously really nice for me. I would never expect anybody to compare me to Rafa, because for me he’s above everybody and he’s a total legend.

“Yeah, as I said, we’ll see in couple of years. But I’m proud of myself that I’m playing consistently here and that I’m mentioned in the same sentence as Rafa. That’s cool.”

LIKE NADAL, SWIATEK THRIVING IN TRADITIONAL CLAY-COURT CONDITIONS

While Swiatek’s numbers don’t yet add up, her playing style and affinity for clay certainly compare to Nadal’s.

“The surface makes my game better,” the Pole stated simply. “My grip allows me to spin more. I can play more defense points because it’s a bit slower, but on the other hand I have also more time to attack sometimes. So I feel like I’m just using it well.”

Bouncier conditions during the second week of this year’s tournament have helped. In the early rounds it was cold and rainy — perhaps part of the reason why Swiatek struggled with Naomi Osaka (saved one match point before winning a three-set thriller). Since then it has been nothing but dominance for the top seed.

“With the roof open and the sun, the ball bounces a little bit higher,” she explained. “Also, it’s a little bit drier in the air, so it goes faster. It just makes my shots…it makes my shots more heavy, and that’s it.”

Yes, that sounds a lot like something Nadal would say.

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