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Iga Swiatek’s reign as French Open champion has come to an end and one brutal statistic will hurt more than any other.

Aryna Sabalenka will play in her first Roland Garros final on Saturday after a 7-6(1), 4-6, 6-0 win against her biggest rival and this match confirmed Swiatek’s demise is now complete.

The Polish star has won the French Open title four times over the last five years and when she retained her crown in Paris last June, it seemed as if her dominance would continue for years to come.

Yet she has failed to win a tournament since that fifth Grand Slam title success and now her reign as the queen of Roland Garros has been ended by the player who has replaced her as the dominant force in women’s tennis.

The final set scoreline will have stung for Swiatek, as she was famous for winning 6-0 sets against her rivals when she was in her prime.

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Now she is the player accepting that punishment, with Sabalenka becoming the first woman to win a 6-0 set against Swiatek on Court Philippe Chatrier in what felt like a significant moment in the careers of two players heading in opposite directions.

“I’m thrilled. It was an incredible match,” said Sabalenka. “Tricky in the beginning. Super glad I found my serve.

“The third set, oh my god. To win a set against Iga 6-0 on the clay. It’s like something out of mind. I’m super happy right now, but the job isn’t done. I will make sure to bring my best tennis and best fighting spirit on Saturday.”

“Honestly it feels incredible, but I also understand the job is not done yet.

“I’m just thrilled with my performance today and with the win. The atmosphere in the stadium, thank you so much. It makes us feel amazing, so thank you.

“Iga [Swiatek] is the toughest opponent, especially on the clay and at Roland Garros. I’m proud that I was able to get this win. It was a tough match, it was tricky, but I managed it somehow and I’m super proud right now.

“I’m glad that I found my serve [in the third set]. It was a bit easier with the serve. What can I say, 6-0 – it couldn’t be much more perfect than that!”

Sabalenka will now look to confirm her status as the new queen of women’s tennis by winning her first Roland Garros title on Saturday, with the questions mounting for Swiatek after this latest defeat.

The Pole would have hoped that returning to the Roland Garros stage she has made her own would see the switch flick inside her and her best tennis to rise back to the surface.

Instead, she crumbled once again when Sabalenka applied the pressure in the third set, with this latest collapse adding to numerous shock setbacks over the last year.

Swiatek’s blip in form in now clearly a much more serious issue and we wait to see how this great champion responds to the biggest slide she has suffered in her career.

READ NEXT: Patrick Mouratoglou makes controversial Iga Swiatek comment amid French Open row

The post One number will sting Iga Swiatek more than any other after French Open exit appeared first on Tennis365.

Alexander Zverev expressed his surprise at the fact some have written Novak Djokovic off as he labelled the tennis icon “underrated” after the pair’s French Open clash.

Djokovic delivered a stellar performance to earn a decisive 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 victory over Zverev in the quarter-finals at Roland Garros.

The 38-year-old has been viewed by some as an outsider for the French Open title, although Zverev disagreed with the suggestion the Serbian could ever be a “black horse” ahead of the quarter-final.

The 24-time Grand Slam champion has lost his opening match at four tournaments this year, but he arrived in Paris in form after securing his 100th career title at the Geneva Open.

Djokovic, who won his most recent major at the 2023 US Open, was a semi-finalist at the Australian Open in January and a runner-up at Wimbledon last year.

In his press conference, Zverev was asked if he expected Djokovic to be able to play in the way he did for three hours and 17 minutes.

“What do you want me to say? He’s won 24 of these things,” replied the world No 3.

“Yes, I expected him to be able to play like this. I have not seen him play like this this year yet.

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“I think it was a very, very high level from him. It was, at some point, difficult for me. In the first set, when the sun wasn’t completely down, there was still some heat on the court. I felt like I could still hit some winners and do some damage with my serve.

“Then later on, when it got really really cold, I couldn’t really do much. I, at some point, felt like I didn’t know how to win a point from the baseline against him.

“I thought he was having solutions to a lot of things I was doing. Credit to him. He played better than me today.”

Zverev then addressed whether the tennis world is underappreciating what Djokovic is achieving at the age of 38.

“Yeah, I think at the moment he’s a bit underrated, to be honest,” said the German. “Funny that you say that.

“I think a lot of people count him out already. This year, he’s had a win over Alcaraz at the Australian Open and he’s had a win over me at the French Open. Forget the age, I think for any player those are pretty good results.

“Of course, you’d have to ask him how he feels physically and how he will recover… if he’ll be 100% for the next match, because I do think it was quite a physical match for both of us.

“But he’s still beating the best of the best, so I think everybody needs to respect that.”

READ NEXT: Tim Henman makes bold Novak Djokovic prediction as he looks beyond Roland Garros

The post Alexander Zverev sends firm message to Novak Djokovic’s doubters after Roland Garros battle appeared first on Tennis365.

Carlos Alcaraz is on course for a showdown against world No 1 Jannik Sinner in Sunday’s Roland Garros final, with leading coach Patrick Mouratoglou suggesting the Spaniard is the only player who intimidates the dominant Italian.

Alcaraz and Sinner have been the stand-out players in Paris this year, as they have lived up to their billing in impressive fashion in the opening rounds of the tournament.

Now defending champion Alcaraz needs to get past Lorenzo Musetti to book his place in the final once again, while Sinner needs to beat Novak Djokovic to seal his spot.

With the odds on the ‘Big 2’ clashing on Sunday narrowing, Mouratoglou has given her verdict on what to expect, as he suggested Alcaraz’s win against Sinner in the Italian Open final earlier this month could be crucial to what comes next in Paris.

“It’s the new rivalry everyone’s talking about, and for good reason. It wears two names: Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz,” said Mouratoglou on a LinkedIn post.

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“Jannik is in the semifinals of Roland-Garros, without dropping a single set. Carlos is also in the final four, back to his explosive best. The rivalry is building, and it’s becoming something very special.

“Right now, only one player seems to have the key to beating Sinner and that’s Alcaraz. The reverse isn’t true. Alcaraz has beaten Sinner in their last four matches.

“Sinner dominates most players. Why? Because he gives them nothing. He’s mentally strong, consistent, and has no real weaknesses to target.
When players face Sinner, they don’t know what to do. You can feel the resignation. That fear. He reminds me of what Rafael Nadal used to impose at Roland-Garros: when you stepped on court against him, deep down, you knew you were going to lose.

“Alcaraz? He’s different. Earlier this season, he wasn’t quite there mentally. Too many unforced errors. No rhythm. He was winning, but far from his best level, maybe at 50 or 60% of it.

“Now? He’s back to 100%. Inspired. Confident. Free. And the win over Sinner in the Rome final changed everything. That victory triggered a switch. Since then, he’s looked like a Grand Slam favorite again.

“This rivalry could define the next decade of men’s tennis. And I don’t think we’ve seen anything yet. Can’t wait to see how the next chapter unfolds in Paris.”

Former British No 1 Tim Henman gave Tennis365 his verdict on the Alcaraz vs Sinner battle, as he spoke to us inside the TNT Sports studio at Roland Garros.

“I think Carlos is the favourite,” Henman told Tennis365. “You look at the clay court tournaments he’s played and his results are impressive.

“He won Monte Carlo, reached the final in Barcelona and he won in Rome, beating Sinner in straight sets in the final.

“He’s won here, defending champion, he’s playing well and the only issue for me with Alcaraz is these dips in focus he seems to have in matches occasionally.

“You can get away with that against the lower-ranked players and come back and find a way to win, but you can’t do that when you get to play the top players in the world and that’s the area Alcaraz needs to iron out of his game.

“When you are having these lapses of concentration in matches against the lower-ranked played, you are increasing the chances of them happening at the end of the tournament.

“So he needs to ingrain these good habits. If he has those dips against a player like Jannik Sinner in the final, Sinner will take advantage.

“When you compare him to Sinner, he doesn’t have those dips. He is relentless in his ball striking.

“Sinner is looking fantastic and while we know Alcaraz gives him different problems, Carlos needs to play at his best to beat him.”

READ NEXT: Tim Henman fires a warning to Carlos Alcaraz ahead of potential Jannik Sinner showdown

The post Leading coach reveals Carlos Alcaraz ‘changed everything’ with key moment against Jannik Sinner appeared first on Tennis365.

John McEnroe has revealed he is “very impressed” with French sensation Lois Boisson as he labelled her run at the 2025 French Open a “dream story.”

Boisson has stunned the tennis world by reaching the semi-finals at her home Grand Slam as a wildcard, having started the event ranked 361st in the world.

The 22-year-old downed 24th seed Elise Mertens in the opening round before seeing off Anhelina Kalinina and Elsa Jacquemot in her following two matches.

The Frenchwoman then upset third seed Jessica Pegula 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 in a dramatic last 16 encounter.

In the quarter-finals, Boisson pulled off another shock as she defeated world No 6 Mirra Andreeva 7-6(6), 6-3 with an amazing display on Court Philippe-Chatrier.

Having been the 24th highest-ranked French woman prior to her run, Boisson will remarkably become the French No 1 when the WTA Rankings update.

Speaking on TNT Sports, McEnroe gave his verdict on Boisson’s French Open heroics and highlighted her physical strength as a major asset.

“I’m very impressed. I mean, I’d never heard of her until this tournament and I’ve only seen her play the last couple rounds,” said the former world No 1.

“I’ve heard about the injury, she missed a lot of time. Her ranking is like 360, I’m sure that is something to do with the injury.

“I’ll tell you one thing, she looks like she’s spent a lot of time in the gym when she was hurt ’cause she looks very physically strong and fit. And to me, that ended up being the difference against this teenager Andreeva.

“She just looked like the grown up, the stronger of the two, and I think that really paid off, ’cause obviously it was a rollercoaster of a match in terms of the score. It could have gone either way.

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“Boisson, this is like a dream story. I mean are you kidding me? This is crazy. Is she even that known in France?”

The American icon also shared his thoughts on Andreeva losing her composure in the second set and firing a ball into the crowd in frustration.

“I liked that, at least she was into it,” McEnroe said. “But if you get frustrated it’s one thing, if the level of your game drops, there’s a way to do that where you try to… I’ve gotta be honest, I did that a few times in my career (hit a ball in frustration), maybe a few hundred.

“So I’m not gonna look at that and be like, ‘Oh my god, I can’t believe she hit a ball into the stands!’. I can’t believe how well and even tempered most of the players are and how they’re able to compose themselves on the court! That’s always amazed me, especially now.

“And when you’ve got a crowd that everyone’s against, and you’re 18 years old trying to sort of hit the big time, that’s a tough pill to swallow.”

Former world No 4 Tim Henman also weighed in on Boisson: “Boisson, she took out the third seed Jess Pegula, she had to back it up. She was against Mirra Andreeva and she did back it up. And I think that really speaks volumes to her attitude. They gave her a huge lift.”

Boisson will face world No 2 and 2023 US Open winner Coco Gauff in the semi-finals.

Watch TNT Sports’ and Eurosport’s exclusive coverage live from Roland Garros

READ NEXT: The 5 women to reach first Grand Slam semi-final on major debut: Boisson joins Evert, Seles

The post John McEnroe gives Lois Boisson verdict and admits he ‘liked’ anger from her French Open rival appeared first on Tennis365.

Jannik Sinner continued his imperious 2025 French Open title charge as he dismantled Alexander Bublik with a ruthless display in the quarter-finals.

The world No 1, who is yet to drop a set in his Roland Garros run, steamrolled 62nd-ranked Bublik 6-1, 7-5, 6-0 in an hour and 49 minutes.

Sinner broke the big-serving Bublik six times and saved the only two break points he faced. The Italian has not dropped serve since his opening round match against Arthur Rinderknech.

After his latest dominant win, Sinner said: “Well, we played already a couple of times before, so we know a little but what to expect. But you know the way with him, you never know what’s happening.

“I feel like he deserves to be in the quarter-finals, he beat very, very tough players. So I just tried to stay focused from my side of the court and just tried to play as solid as possible because he can have some slightly ups and downs.

“So I just tried to stay consistent throughout the match, I’m trying to serve very well in important moments, which I’ve done.

“So yeah, it was a good performance from my side because it’s also a bit windy and breezy, so things can be very complicated. Today, I warmed up with the roof closed because it was raining, then the sun came out, so a lot of different challenges on court, but I’m very happy.”

“We work a lot on having a good balance with my body, but against these kind of players, you have to be very consistent because if you make a lot of mistakes, it’s already a game where if we both serve very well, there are not so many rallies, so I tried to get rhythm with the rallies.

“But again, very happy with how I arrived to the semis, semi-finals in Grand Slams are very special. So I’m looking forward to it and let’s see what’s coming.”

Asked if he changes his racket tension to adjust to conditions, Sinner explained: “We always have some discussions with my team, I never really change the tension because I feel like I have a good feel with it so I don’t want to mess around as much.

“There are players, they change always, every day, but again, it shows that everyone is different. I just try to give the best I can, 100%, staying there with the right attitude, the mindset.”

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Sinner has now won 19 consecutive Grand Slam matches — a streak that, as well as his five Roland Garros wins, features his title runs at the 2025 Australian Open and the 2024 US Open.

The 23-year-old is the youngest man to win that many successive matches at majors since Rafael Nadal in 2008.

Nadal triumphed at the French Open and Wimbledon in 2008 before his Grand Slam streak ended with a US Open semi-final defeat.

Sinner is also the third youngest male player to reach the semi-finals of the Australian Open and the French Open in back-to-back years after Jim Courier and Mats Wilander.

The Italian star will face either Alexander Zverev or Novak Djokovic in what promises to be a blockbuster semi-final clash.

Asked if he will watch the quarter-final between Zverev and Djokovic, the three-time Grand Slam champion said: “I think we will all a little bit watch, for sure.

“But in the other way, I also try to switch off my head because on Grand Slams, you are there always mentally and two weeks are very long events.

“I just try to go for dinner, trying to relax, trying to recover. It’s going to be a great match the next one, hopefully I will be ready. We all hope for a high-quality match, that’s what the fans want.”

READ NEXT: Jannik Sinner has one ‘fatal’ weakness that a brutal statistic confirms

The post How Jannik Sinner became youngest man since Rafael Nadal to amass a stellar Grand Slam streak appeared first on Tennis365.

Mats Wilander and Tim Henman have reacted to Lois Boisson’s sensational upset win against Mirra Andreeva at the 2025 French Open.

French wildcard Boisson produced the performance of her career to down sixth-ranked Andreeva 7-6(6), 6-3 in the quarter-finals at the Paris Grand Slam.

While Boisson stunned world No 3 Jessica Pegula in three sets in the last 16, her latest win was arguably her most impressive yet given Andreeva’s immense talent and clay-court pedigree.

The 22-year-old was ranked 361st prior to the tournament, and she is the first wildcard to reach the semi-finals of the French Open women’s singles event in the Open Era.

Boisson will take on world No 2 and 2023 US Open champion Coco Gauff in the last four at Roland Garros on Thursday.

Speaking on TNT Sports, three-time French Open champion Wilander made some big statements about Boisson’s level and her chances against Gauff.

“She was absolutely brilliant. Technically, when you watch her play, she is really good,” assessed the Swede.

“Her forehand is incredibly strong — she puts more spin on it than the average top 50 man, which takes serious strength, and she has it. She runs and moves unbelievably well. She has a beautiful, sliced backhand, she can hit aces, and she quite literally has the whole game.

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“You wonder whether it’s just injuries that have held her back, or if it’s more of a mental thing. Hopefully, this performance will give her the confidence she needs, because to me, she’s a top 20 player on any surface.

“I think it’s perfect for her [playing again tomorrow], she’s riding a wave. At normal tournaments you play every day, normally there or four days in a row if you do well. So, I think it’s perfect.

“I actually think she has a really good shot at beating Coco Gauff — because she was not that great today either.”

Henman, a former world No 4, highlighted the injury nightmare Boisson endured to get to this year’s French Open and hailed her latest display.

“It’s just been an incredible story, this fortnight. After an ACL injury last year, she was out of the equation — and the game — for nine months,” said the Brit.

“The way she’s come back and followed up the Jessica Pegula victory was remarkable. I thought, emotionally and technically, she wasn’t going to get close to winning this match, but she’s just been incredible.

“She handled it amazingly well. To come up against Andreeva in this environment was impressive. The way she competed was a phenomenal effort — mentally, physically, and technically.

“She’s straight into the semi-finals tomorrow, and that could actually work in her favour.”

Watch TNT Sports’ and Eurosport’s exclusive coverage live from Roland Garros

READ NEXT: How Coco Gauff set impressive French Open record and followed in Serena Williams’ footsteps

The post ‘Lois Boisson is a top 20 player on any surface’ – former world No 1 amid French Open run appeared first on Tennis365.

French sensation Lois Boisson delivered a stunning display to upset Mirra Andreeva in the quarter-finals of the 2025 French Open.

The 22-year-old wildcard prevailed 7-6(6), 6-3 against world No 6 Andreeva on Court Philippe-Chatrier to continue her fairytale Roland Garros run.

Boisson twice battled back from a break down and saved a set point before taking a thrilling opening set on a tiebreak.

The Frenchwoman fell 0-3 down in the second set, but won the next six games to seal a remarkable victory over the 18-year-old Russian star.

In her on-court interview, Boisson said: “It was unbelievable, it was amazing to feel supported like this. I have no words to describe that feeling.

“Whatever the situation last year and difficult moments we went through, it’s unbelievable to come from there, but it’s also thanks to my team who supported me. It’s thanks to all of us, really.

“Well, I think I ran a bit too much because I was so tense. It was difficult to hit the ball from the racket. I fought hard. The first set was very intense and at the beginning of the second set, I was really tired. But in the end, I managed to recover and to finish as I did.

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“Well, I’m going to try and recover, see the physios, there’s six physios in my box. So I have plenty of choice.”

Boisson missed the 2024 French Open after suffering an anterior cruciate ligament injury a week before the tournament.

She is the first player in the Open Era to reach the semi-finals of the French Open women’s singles event as a wildcard.

At the age of 22 years and nine days, Boisson has become the youngest French women’s semi-finalist at a Grand Slam since former world No 1 Amelie Mauresmo at Wimbledon in 1999.

Boisson was ranked 361st at the start of the tournament — and she has soared an incredible 296 places to a projected new career-high of 65th with the 780 points earned for reaching the last four.

It is the biggest ranking jump from a Grand Slam run since Emma Raducanu won the 2021 US Open as a qualifier. Raducanu rose 127 places from 150th to 23rd for her incredible triumph.

Boisson will face world No 2 Coco Gauff in the semi-finals on Thursday.

READ NEXT: How Coco Gauff set impressive French Open record and followed in Serena Williams’ footsteps

The post Lois Boisson +296 in WTA Rankings with extraordinary Mirra Andreeva French Open upset appeared first on Tennis365.

Novak Djokovic is set to face his biggest test at Roland Garros when he takes on Alexander Zverev in what will be a fascinating quarter-final showdown.

The 24-time Grand Slam-winning legend is chasing another major title that would see him move ahead of Margaret Court in the all-time list of major winners.

Yet the Serbian is not the force he once was and his former coach has predicted his German compatriot Zverev may be the favourite to win their showdown at Roland Garros.

“Novak Djokovic is only still playing tennis because he wants to win Grand Slam tournaments,” Becker told TNT Sports.

“The magical number of 25 is in the air, of course, which is why he’s probably most dangerous at Grand Slams.

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“Sascha Zverev is perhaps physically the strongest player still competing. He loves the long matches, he loves the challenges. But you win the big matches in your head and not in your legs!

“Now I have to admit that Roland-Garros is a very physical tournament where you have to push yourself to your physical limits for three to four hours. Zverev has an advantage over Djokovic in that respect. But we’ll see what will be decisive in the end.

“Djokovic comes from the generation of Federer and Nadal, where mind games were sometimes decisive for a match. The younger players like Sinner, Alcaraz and Zverev are a bit more relaxed about it. But Novak will do everything he can and mobilise all his resources to win this match.

“It it comes down to physical fitness I would definitely favour Sascha Zverev. He’s the younger and fitter player.

“Of course, you also need mental strength in the fifth set, but above all you need air and fresh legs. He likes playing against Djokovic and has beaten him many times – most recently at the Australian Open, however, due to an injury.

“Compared to Djokovic’s record against almost all other players, Sascha is in a good position. He doesn’t mind playing against the legend, but reality is on the court.

“I still have to feel it, maybe I need to witness the first or second set. Then a feeling like that can develop better.

“For now, I think it’s 50:50. On paper, Sascha might be the slight favourite, but the matches have to be played first – and Djokovic will have a say in that.”

Djokovic was forced to retire from his Australian Open semi-final against Zverev in January due to an injury, with the German insisting he now expected to face peak Novak in their last eight clash in Paris.

“I mean, the guy won 24 Grand Slams. He’s never gonna be a black horse,” said Zverev, amid suggestions that he is the favourite to beat Djokovic on clay.

“He definitely knows how to play tennis. He definitely knows what it means to be on a big stage and play big matches. There’s no doubt about that.

“For me, Carlos (Alcaraz) is the favourite. I would say the next three in line are Jannik (Sinner), myself, and Novak. I still believe that.

“I still believe that in tennis and experience, Novak is up there with us. I think from now on, I have the toughest draw in the tournament. So I’m looking forward to the battles ahead. I’m looking forward to playing the best in the world.”

Watch every moment of the French Open live and exclusively on TNT Sports and discovery+

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The post Boris Becker picks a winner in epic Novak Djokovic vs Alexander Zverev showdown appeared first on Tennis365.

Alexandra Eala has admitted she has a long way to go in her development before she is ready to compete with the top players in the game consistently.

Eala sent shockwaves through tennis as she beat Australian Open champion Madison Keys and five-time Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek amid a stunning run to the semi-finals at the Miami Open.

Those wins fired Eala into the top 100 of the WTA Rankings for the first time, but the 20-year-old has not repeated her Miami heroics in subsequent tournaments and she has told Tennis365 that time will be needed before she can challenge the game’s best players consistently.

Some observers have compared Eala’s breakthrough to that of Emma Raducanu after her 2021 US Open win, but she has stressed that her path to the time will not be fast-tracked.

“Do I feel like I am close to being a top ten player at this moment? I would say no,” conceded Eala in an exclusive interview with Tennis365 as she competes at the Lexus Birmingham Open.

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“My level is there and I show that at times, but there are certain reasons why these players are top 10 and I’m not there yet.

“That’s not to say I don’t have the potential to be there one day, but at the moment, I still have a lot more to work on in my game.

“It is a little bit of everything I need to improve on. Mentally, technically. You look at a top 10 player and they have so many matches each year.

“The average level they bring in each match is higher than the average level I bring at the moment. I have to try and work hard to get there.”

Eala gave us a glimpse into her mindset when she is on court with giants of the game like Swiatek and Keys, as she insists she is not intimidated by the reputation of an opponent.

“Of course there are going to be moments when you feel under pressure because these top players can play so well, but everyone has their own flaw,” she continued.

“When you play someone like Swiatek, you know there are going to be moments when they do amazing things, but there also be moments when you will have a chance.

“Nobody is perfect and you are always going to have a chance in every match. It all depends on you and how you perform in those moments.

“My self belief has always been there, but when you have a run like that, it makes you have even more belief. Now I feel like I’m in a good moment. It has helped me and sparked a bit more belief.”

Eala also spoke about her pride at the prospect of her success inspiring young girls back home in the Philippines to pick up a tennis racket, as she admitted that is the most satisfying part of her early success.

“It just warms my heart that people in my country are looking at what I am doing and might try tennis,” she added.

“I’m travelling all the time, so I don’t get to see what is happening with tennis in the Philippines, but I get sent a lot of videos and pictures of young people saying I am inspiring them and that is so exciting for me.

“The youth and especially the young girls who are inspired by me and that makes everything so warm for me. In terms of the scale of my impact back home, I don’t have a big idea about it and I just focus on what is important and that is my tennis and trying to improve.”

You can watch Eala in action at the Birmingham Open this week and tickets are available here.

READ NEXT: Alex Eala’s grass-court schedule revealed ahead of Wimbledon debut

The post Alexandra Eala makes honest confession as she compares herself to Iga Swiatek appeared first on Tennis365.

Iga Swiatek improved her incredible record at the French Open with a quarter-final victory against Elina Svitolina at Roland Garros.

The five-time Grand Slam champion, who is aiming to win a record fourth consecutive French Open crown, downed 14th-ranked Svitolina 6-1, 7-5 on Court Philippe-Chatrier.

Swiatek was made to work hard by the 30-year-old Ukrainian in the opening set despite the scoreline, while she battled back from a 3-1 deficit in the second.

The world No 5 said: “I should have had better intensity in the beginning of the second set because Elina is this kind of player that plays better under pressure. When she loses, she kind of steps up always.

“So I needed to be ready for that and I’m happy that, immediately after I saw that my intensity went low, I just got it high again and I wanted to be proactive and leading the game. And I’m happy that I did that until the end of the set.”

Asked to explain the three aces she hit in the final game, Swiatek said: “I can’t (laughs). Honestly, you could see that the serve was kind of weird, also because of the wind. We both wanted to figure out how to do that, but at the end of the set, I felt like the wind went down a little bit, so I knew I can go for it.

“Also, I had new balls, so I just went all in. I think I hit three lines, so pretty proud of that. It doesn’t happen often, so it’s nice to win some points for free.”

Swiatek’s victory over Svitolina was her 26th consecutive win at the Paris Grand Slam, which sees her move above Monica Seles into second place for the longest women’s winning streaks at the event. Only Chris Evert (29) has won more successive French Open matches.

French Open News

The 7 women with highest French Open win percentage: Iga Swiatek one of two over 90%, Serena Williams 7th

Aryna Sabalenka extends stunning Grand Slam record with French Open quarter-final victory

The Pole has equalled Serena Williams for the longest winning streak at a women’s singles Grand Slam tournament this century. Williams won 26 US Open matches in a row between 2012 and 2015.

Across women’s and men’s tennis, Swiatek has become the joint-second fastest player to win 40 French Open matches, having matched Bjorn Borg by reaching the landmark in just 42 matches.

Rafael Nadal, a 14-time Roland Garros champion, holds the record, having won 40 of his first 41 matches at the clay-court major.

Swiatek is the fastest woman to 40 French Open wins, with Chris Evert and Monica Seles tied in second (43 matches).

The three-time reigning champion will face world No 1 Aryna Sabalenka in a blockbuster semi-final.

“Yeah, these Madrid finals [in 2023 and 2024 against Sabalenka] were probably one of the best, most exciting finals that I played,” Swiatek said.

“Aryna is always a challenge, she has a game for every surface. So, I need to just focus on myself, do the work, be brave with my shots and just go for it. For sure, I’m gonna prepare tactically tomorrow.

“She’s been having great season, so I’m not gonna lie, for sure it’s gonna be a tough match, but I’m happy for a challenge.”

READ NEXT: The 8 women with the most French Open titles: Chris Evert with 7, Iga Swiatek joint-third

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