Shock twist: Jessica Pegula’s prediction about Iga Swiatek looks startlingly accurate

Photo by Robert Prange/Getty Images

Pegula had been playing well in Rome but came up short in a one-sided contest with the world number three.

She went down 6-1, 6-2 in just over an hour as Swiatek continued to build momentum on clay.

It was the second straight defeat for Pegula against the Pole, who took both wins in straight sets.

Swiatek is coming into form at the right time after early exits in Stuttgart and Madrid. She’ll face either Victoria Azarenka or Karolina Muchova next as she continues her run in Rome.

Jessica Pegula’s worries about Iga Swiatek and Rafael Nadal were justified

Photo by Robert Prange/Getty Images

Swiatek made a major change ahead of her first appearance on the surface this season, hiring Francisco Roig as a replacement for Wim Fissette.

But the six-time Grand Slam champion also made use of another key figure within the game, as Swiatek trained with Rafael Nadal at his academy.

The tennis world simply couldn’t ignore the link-up, with her WTA rival Pegula concerned by Swiatek training with Nadal, and understandably so.

She commented at the time: “I saw the clip of them on the clay, I was like, ughhh, this is bad for everybody! I was like, this should be illegal.”

Pegula was clearly joking at the very end of her reaction, but there would have been an element of truth behind her statement.

There is already some evidence to support that view. The timing of Swiatek’s performances may be a key factor in that regard.

No immediate success could have been expected due to the nature of her coaching change. But enough time has seemingly passed for her to truly adapt to her new setup. This process began with considerable assistance from Nadal.