Hubert Hurkacz jokingly revealed that he doesn’t think Iga Swiatek having Rafael Nadal and Ashleigh Barty’s phone numbers is anything extraordinary. Swiatek, the highest-ranked player on the WTA Tour, has spoken on numerous occasions about her admiration for Nadal.
Hurkacz, who is Swiatek’s teammates in the inaugural United Cup, decided to give the world number 1 a friendly barbecue after her last mention of Nadal. «Which of you think has the best celebrity phone number on your cell phone?» the producer asked the Polish United Cup team.
After a member of the Polish team pointed out Swiatek, the world number 1 said: «I mean, I have Barty’s and Rafa’s, so I feel like… yeah.» Hurkacz then interrupted Swiatek, saying: «I mean, seriously, those are the tennis players, come on, they all have…»
seeing Hubi calling someone nicely is strangely shocking and uplifting —Blair Henley (@BlairHenley) December 30, 2022
Hurkacz roasted Swiatek after last mention of Nadal, Barty
Swiatek, 21, grew up watching and idolizing Nadal.
Swiatek, who is now a three-time Grand Slam champion and the best player in women’s soccer, considers Nadal’s humble demeanor one of the best things about the Spaniard. «My God, he’s basically inspired me in every aspect, both on and off the court.
He is so humble and down to earth. He’s the type of person who always says ‘Hello’ and it’s amazing because it seems like success didn’t change him and he’s still the same great person,» Swiatek said of Nadal in June.
After Barty announced a surprise retirement from tennis in March, Swiatek replaced her at the top spot. This week, Swiatek showed respect for Barty when she admitted that the former three-time Grand Slam champion inspired her to work harder on her game.
“Maybe this week we will be able to see each other and I will tell him directly [Barty], but she really inspired me to work harder. The different playstyle of hers made me realize that there is always room for improvement.
Even at this moment I feel like there’s a lot I can change and improve and I’m very excited that even when I had such a good season this year, I can do different things,» Swiatek said of Barty this week.
