'He taught me that…’ - Iga Swiatek lauds 14-times French Open winner after his early exit from the marquee event

The world number one tennis star, Iga Swiatek, has recently opened up about how 14-time French Open winner Rafael Nadal has inspired her during her tennis journey. Notably, Iga Swiatek recently outclassed Leolia Jeanjean by 6-1, 6-2 in her first round of the game on May 27. She is set to face Naomi Osaka in the second round of theFrench Open 2024, taking place in Paris.

The Polish star was recently seen lauding Rafael Nadal, despite his exit from the opening round. She revealed that Nadal always possesses a never-die attitude, which makes him a very exceptional player in tennis history, and this attitude always increases the chances of winning. The 22-year-old star revealed how the Spaniard has inspired her to stay humble and really focused during the work, which has helped her make things go well in court.

“He [Nadal] taught me that always fighting till the end and not giving up is the best way to go. It just increases your chances that you might win. There's no point in working hard and giving everything to play well rather than to give up at the end. He managed to turn around some matches that it seemed impossible to turn around. That really inspired me. But also how he is off the court; he's really humble and really focused on the work. It seems that success didn't change him," said Iga Swiatek.

I haven't actually played against Naomi obviously on clay: Iga Swiatek

Meanwhile, the Polish star is set to face Naomi Osaka in the second round of the marquee event, which is slated to take place on Wednesday. The four-time Grand Slam winner has lauded her upcoming opponent's personality and style of playing the game.

“I think she's a great person, and her game style is pretty fun to watch as well. I haven't actually played against Naomi obviously on clay, so we’ll see how that's gonna go. We need to prepare tactically, for sure. But all these matches that we played on hard courts were always really intense and tough," she added further.