Iga Swiatek refuses to choose sides between "idol" Rafael Nadal & close friend Hubert Hurkacz's Italian Open 2R: "I'm not gonna cheer for anybody"

Rafael Nadal is playing Hubert Hurkacz in the second round of the Italian Open. Iga Swiatek who considers Nadal her idol and countryman Hurkacz a friend, refrains from choosing a side.

Swiatek was up against Yulia Putintseva in the third round of the Italian Open. The Pole convincingly won the first set 6-3 but faced a mountain to climb in the second set where she was close to going 1-5 down.

However, the World No. 1 kept her composure and the Foro Italico witnessed an impressive comeback from Swiatek. She won five games in a row to bag the second set 6-4 and advanced to the fourth round.

During her post-match on-court interview, Swiatek was asked about Nadal's second-round tie against her close friend Hurkacz. Instead of choosing a side, the WTA star claimed she would not be cheering for either of the men.

“He’s a huge inspiration for sure. I talk about it every time because he’s basically the only idol I ever had in my life. It’s great that he’s back to play some tennis. It’s a tricky match cause he’s playing Hubi. I’m not gonna cheer for anybody," said Swiatek.

"I'm just gonna wish it's going to be a great tennis [match] and great entertainment for you guys," she added.

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Iga Swiatek explains how she made an impressive comeback in the second set of her Italian Open 3R match against Yulia Putintseva

Iga Swiatek at the Italian Open 2024.

Iga Swiatek went 4-1 down against Yulia Putintseva but managed to pull off a comeback from a difficult position. In her post-match interview, Swiatek admitted that the Kazakh was changing the rhythm of the game and it was difficult to play against her.

"Well honestly, I just knew that I need to get my focus together you know and I know that I can play good tennis because I did in a first set," said Swiatek.

"So, I just wanted to come back to being solid and really you know work for the points 'cause yeah, she's really changing the rhythm so, it's not easy to play against her," she added.

The 22-year-old Pole has now won eight matches in a row on clay including her triumph in the 2024 Madrid Open where she defeated Aryna Sabalenka in a marathon final. She is now 34-4 in 2024.

Her fourth-round match is set to take place on Monday, May 13 and she will be up against the winner of the match between Angelique Kerber and Aliaksandra Sasnovich.