Francisco Roig backs Iga Świątek to regain world No. 1 ranking ahead of Beijing return

Asian swing schedule and Beijing opener

Iga Świątek has arrived in Beijing to begin her campaign at the WTA 1000 China Open. Seeded eighth in the tournament draw, the 25-year-old Polish player received a bye into the second round. Her opening opponent will be determined by the first-round encounter between China's Xinyu Gao and Hungary's Panna Udvardy scheduled for 1 October. The Beijing event serves as the first stage of a three-tournament Asian tour, which will continue at the WTA 1000 event in Wuhan and conclude at the WTA 500 tournament in Ningbo. Świątek enters the Asian swing aiming to accumulate ranking points to secure a qualifying place for the season-ending WTA Finals.

Coach Roig assesses ranking and potential

Ahead of the competition in Beijing, coach Francisco Roig discussed Świątek's situation in an interview with journalist Fernando Murciego for Eurosport's Spanish edition, conducted shortly before departing for China. The 58-year-old Spanish coach began working with Świątek in April 2026, taking over when her results had dropped and her morale was low. The 2026 campaign represents the first season in four years that Świątek did not win a Grand Slam title, leaving her ranked ninth in the WTA standings. Despite the drop from the top position, Roig expressed total confidence that the six-time Grand Slam champion can reclaim world No. 1 status.

Right now Iga is obviously not the best in the world. Can she become the best again? Definitely yes: she has already been there and has all the necessary conditions.

Tactical adjustments after Wimbledon

The partnership delivered a title during the late summer hardcourt season when Świątek won the WTA 1000 tournament in Toronto, capturing the 26th trophy of her career. Roig recalled that the early phase of their work coincided with the European clay season, a period carrying heavy ranking point defence and high pressure. The key turning point occurred after Wimbledon, when Roig initiated discussions regarding technical and tactical modifications. Roig observed that Świątek frequently exerted unnecessary running effort and rushed to conclude rallies, concluding that psychological approach held greater significance than purely technical changes.

The turning point came after Wimbledon: we sat down and I told her that if we want to move forward with this, we need to introduce some changes and start acting a little differently.

Rebuilding path to Grand Slam titles

Świątek enters the Asian tournaments following a fourth-round elimination at the US Open. Roig emphasized that restoring the former world No. 1 to consistent championship form requires time and cannot happen immediately. However, he stated that her competitive drive remains central to her game and will enable her to compete for future Grand Slam trophies.

Iga will win Grand Slam tournaments again: she has an incredible competitive drive, winning is in her DNA. I am convinced that she can dominate the field again, win and return to the leader position.

Świątek begins her tournament run in Beijing as she seeks to maximize points across the final weeks of the 2026 WTA calendar.