Iga Swiatek’s three-year reign as Roland Garros champion, a dynasty on dirt that encompassed 26 matches and evoked comparisons to Rafael Nadal, is over.
Aryna Sabalenka’s streak of successful semifinals at the Slams, meanwhile, continues. The dominant world No. 1 won for the fifth consecutive time in the final four of a major, 7-6 (1), 4-6, 6-0, over her longtime rival and frequent clay-court tormentor. She will play for the Coupe Suzanne Lenglen for the first time, in her sixth career Grand Slam final. She joins Elena Rybakina as the only players who have defeated Swiatek on clay twice.
“I’m thrilled,” Sabalenka told Mary Jo Fernandez on TNT. “It was an incredible match, tricky one at the beginning. But I’m super glad that I found my serve.“
Some of Swiatek’s 26 wins on the terre battue took less time to complete than the first set of her match today. In a topsy-turvy opener, Sabalenka raced to a 3-0 lead with massive hitting, only for Swiatek to win five of the next six games. There would be more sharp turnarounds. Sabalenka won the next two games, but was broken while serving for the set. Both superstars’ games are too good to keep at bay for too long, and a tiebreaker was a fitting resolution.
And with yet another surge of skill, Sabalenka won it, 7-1.