Duel at Roland Garros: Sabalenka vs Swiatek
Parisian Semi-Final Encounter: Sabalenka Faces Swiatek
The City of Light is buzzing! The French Open heats up as top seeds Aryna Sabalenka and defending champ Iga Swiatek square off in the semis. Sabalenka conquered China's Olympic hero Zheng Qinwen 7:6 (7:3), 6:3 in a grueling clash, advancing to the Roland Garros semis for the second time since 2023.
Meanwhile, Swiatek demonstrated her reigning dominance over Roland Garros, extending her triumphant streak to a staggering 26 matches and besting Ukraine's fan-favorite Elina Svitolina 6:1, 7:5. This year marks Swiatek's hat-trick win at the French Open.
Sabalenka's Close Call in the First Set
The number one ranked Sabalenka faced a tough first set against Zheng, struggling early and falling a break behind. Revealing her relief, Sabalenka admitted, "To be honest, I don't know how I turned the tide in the first set." In the second set, Sabalenka put her foot on the pedal and claimed victory after 1 hour and 54 minutes. Previously, Zheng had triumphed in two sets at the tournament in Rome before the French Open.
Swiatek started the match against Svitolina like a dream, not granting the Ukrainian any room to breathe. However, Svitolina found her stride in the second set, threatening to salvage the match. Swiatek held her ground and clinched a spot in the semis after 1 hour and 41 minutes, saying, "I'm fired up for the match against Aryna. It's always an intense face-off."
While data doesn't show specific head-to-head results between Sabalenka and Swiatek in the French Open, their overall record stands at 8-4 in Swiatek's favor[2][3][5]. In the 2025 French Open semis, Sabalenka managed to defeat Swiatek in three sets, delivering a score of 7-6(1), 4-6, 6-0[1].
Revved up for their semifinal battle on Thursday, let's see who'll dominate the clay at Roland Garros!
Tennis enthusiasts will be on the edge of their seats as the semifinal match between top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka and defending champion Iga Swiatek unfolds on the clay courts of Roland Garros. With their past records indicating Swiatek leading with an 8-4 edge [2][3][5], fans might anticipate another close contest akin to their 2025 French Open semifinals clash, which saw Sabalenka clinch a three-set victory, 7-6(1), 4-6, 6-0.
