"Slow down with the Rafa thing, it's getting annoying" - Tennis fans disappointed with Iga Swiatek's pre-match routine being compared to Nadal's

Iga Swiatek's preparation routine for her French Open 2023 match against Claire Liu was recently compared by both fans and the WTA to Rafael Nadal's routine. But several other fans have shot down that comparison, claiming it is not justified.

Nadal is known for having a lot of routines that he follows to the letter, and one of those is his signature run just before going on to the court for a match. Prior to her match against Claire Liu, Swiatek was recorded doing something similar, and the WTA social media handle suggested it was Nadal-esque.

A user then reminded everyone that Swiatek has been a Nadal fan all her life.

"She has admired him her entire tennis career," the fan wrote.

Surprisingly or not, some were not amused with the Nadal comparison.

"Honestly plenty of players do this. Slow down with the Rafa thing, it's getting annoying," wrote one tennis fan on Twitter.

"If I was the opponent I would just stand in the middle of the corridor," another fan wrote.

"This is such cringe at this point," yet another wrote.

Here are some more reactions:

There was even some analysis of Iga Swiatek's running technique.

"Know nothing about biomechanics, but visually it appears there is something wrong with her running technique. Noticed in Italy, Madrid when she was practically falling over going for short balls," a user wrote.

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Iga Swiatek on Rafael Nadal's injury: "I don't want to see him suffering a lot"

After Rafael Nadal officially withdrew from the 2023 French Open, Iga Swiatek commented on the Spaniard's battle with injuries.

"I’m a big Rafa fan. For sure I wish he could play. But honestly, like, I really, really respect what kind of warrior he is. He’s always trying to push and trying to get better and play better and just trying to compete on the highest level," Swiatek said.

Swiatek has talked about being a Nadal fan ever since she burst into the spotlight. But even though she wants to see him play as much as the next fan, Swiatek is wary of the implications that come with returning from injury too soon.

“I don’t know how much, like, pain he’s living with. I don’t want to, like, see him suffering a lot. I’m kind of like biased because I would love to see him play, but on the other hand, I know if he’s going to really, like, suffer, it’s not going to be so fun to see him like that," Iga Swiatek said.