Iga Swiatek's psychologist Daria drops 4-word reaction in celebration of Rafael Nadal's historic Laureus honor

Iga Swiatek's psychologist, Daria Abramowicz, shared a four-word reaction to Rafael Nadal winning only the second Laureus Sporting Icon honor. Swiatek has admitted multiple times that Nadal is her idol in the sport.

Nadal attended the Laureus World Sports Awards in Madrid on Monday, April 21. He was joined by several tennis stars, including Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic, Paula Badosa, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Donna Vekic, and legend Boris Becker.

Amid the esteemed attendance, Nadal was bestowed with the Laureus Sporting Icon award. This is only the second time the award is being presented to an athlete after Valentino Rossi earned it in 2022 after retiring from motorsport.

Sharing an image on her Instagram Story of Nadal holding the award, Abramowicz captioned it:

"The one and only"

Iga Swiatek's psychologist Daria's Story | Instagram @abramowiczdaria

In his winning speech, Nadal advised those present to enjoy each moment they spend as professional athletes.

"The ones that keep competing, enjoy the moment, because the professional careers are short. But just try hard, enjoy and appreciate every single moment that you have the chance to enjoy this beautiful world of sport. Keep going," he said.

Swiatek, meanwhile, has expressed her admiration for the Spaniard several times.

---

Iga Swiatek called Rafael Nadal the GOAT on "every surface"

Rafael Nadal and Iga Swiatek at the 2022 US Open - Source: Getty

Rafael Nadal’s legacy on clay, including 14 French Open titles, makes him a tennis icon. For Iga Swiatek, who is carving out her own dominance on the clay, there’s no doubt about who the greatest player of all time is.

In an interview with The Athletic earlier in 2025, Swiatek hailed Nadal as the best across all surfaces.

"It was the same with Rafa. Everybody always talked about clay, but he’s the GOAT [Greatest Of All Time] basically on every surface," Swiatek said (via Tennis365). "Also winning Wimbledon twice — not every player can have these results even on one surface.”

The 23-year-old Pole has already captured four French Open titles in five years, starting with her breakthrough win in 2020. With five Majors overall, Swiatek aims to follow in Nadal’s footsteps as an all-court champion.

"It’s just physics," she explained. "On clay, it’s going to be a bit easier because my topspin will jump higher and my movements will be maybe better than what other girls can bring. But on hard courts, I feel like I’m a good player as well."

In current on-court matters, Swiatek recently faced defeat in her first clay-court event of the season in Stuttgart. She was beaten by Jelena Ostapenko for the sixth consecutive time. Up next, Swiatek will begin her Madrid Open title defence in the second round after receiving a bye in the first.