Rome [Italy], May 12 : The World No.1 Iga Swiatek acknowledged that she has been emotionally affected by tennis great Rafael Nadal's recent performances.
After her third-round win over Yulia Putintseva in the Italian Open, the four-time Grand Slam winner expressed her "mixed emotions" about Nadal's situation, admitting that she was much too young to understand it.
The 22-year-old reflected on Nadal's recent farewell ceremony at the Madrid Open when he was knocked out in the fourth round by eventual semifinalist Jiri Lehecka.
"Mixed emotions because obviously, I'm still pretty young, so it's hard for me to understand what his exact situation is. I haven't been in this place where I'm playing my last tournaments. But I watched the whole ceremony in Madrid and I cried obviously, but he seems happy and that's the most important thing," Swiatek said in an interview as quoted by ATP.
Swiatek, a long-time Nadal fan, first saw the lefty in person at Roland Garros in 2017. As she climbed to popularity on the WTA Tour, the Pole frequently mentioned how much she admired the Spaniard.
Swiatek admitted to crying while watching the event, but went on to praise the Spaniard for being a "good example of an athlete who was satisfied with his accomplishments and was about to embark on a new phase in life."
The 22-year-old has often spoken about what she's learnt from his game. Swiatek revealed on Saturday that she has been learning from his thinking and approach.
"I think his approach is very, very smart and really, it's a good example of an athlete that is satisfied with what he achieved and he's okay with starting another chapter in his life, I guess. It seems like it," Swiatek said.
"So I think he's going to be a good example of how you should approach this kind of stuff. And it's normal, everybody's obviously making a huge fuss around it, but it's his life and he's doing everything the way he wants it on his terms, and I think it's great," he added.
Meanwhile, Nadal succumbed to the seventh-seeded Hubert Hurkacz in the second round on Saturday. Swiatek overcame Yulia Putintseva earlier in the day, keeping her hopes of completing the Madrid-Rome double alive.
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