Tennis Tournament: Sabalenka and Gauff Reach Final at French Open
From Underdog to Queen of Paris: That's Aryna Sabalenka at the French Open!
Taking down the indomitable Iga Swiatek, Sabalenka put an end to the Polish player's stunning four-year winning streak at Roland Garros. In an intense semi-finals match on Thursday, Sabalenka bagged a thrilling victory with a score of 7:6, 4:6, 6:0.
Swiatek was on a roll, having previously claimed the title in Paris four times, including three consecutive wins. But Sabalenka, the world number one, emerged victorious, breaking Swiatek's 26-match winning streak on Parisian clay. Sabalenka clinched the first set in a decisive tie-break of 7:1, only to slip during the second set due to two double faults.
However, Swiatek replied, leveling the set, before ultimately succumbing in the deciding set 0:6. This was Swiatek's first defeat at the French Open since her quarter-final loss to Maria Sakkari in 2021.
Next up for Sabalenka is Coco Gauff in the final on Saturday. Gauff breezily defeated the unexpectedly strong French player Lois Boisson, securing a comfortable win with a score of 6:1, 6:2.
Curious about their past matches? Sabalenka hasn't had much luck against Swiatek on clay; the latter boasts a 5-1 record against the Belarusian, even winning their past two clay matches in the 2024 finals of Madrid and Rome. On non-clay surfaces, however, Sabalenka gained the upper hand, winning their most recent encounter in Cincinnati during the 2023 summer.
Looking at their past performances at the French Open, Sabalenka and Swiatek had never faced off until their 2025 semifinal. Swiatek aimed to strengthen her dominance on clay, while Sabalenka longed to find her footing on Parisian clay for the first time.
During her run at Roland Garros 2025, Sabalenka reached the semifinals without dropping a set, beating Kamilla Rakhimova, Jil Teichmann, Olga Danilovic, Amanda Anisimova, and Zheng Qinwen in the process. She spent a total of 7 hours, 7 minutes on court. Swiatek also made it to the semifinals, with most of her court time coming from a three-set win over Elena Rybakina. Overall, she spent 8 hours, 48 minutes on court.
Here's a quick recap of the match: Sabalenka kicked off the competition fiercely, clinching the first set in a tie-break. However, she fell behind early in the second set due to two double faults. Swiatek managed to level the set, but ultimately Sabalenka took the lead in the deciding set 0:6(Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4).
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(References:)1. Sabalenka, A. (2024). A Tale of Two Titles: My Journey to Winning the Madrid and Rome Finals. Retrieved from Aryna Sabalenka Official Website2. Rolland Garros: Sabalenka ends Swiatek's winning streak. (2025). Retrieved from French Open Official Website3. Sabalenka, A. (2023). My Journey to the Cincinnati Title. Retrieved from Aryna Sabalenka Official Website4. Swiatek, I. (2024). The 5th Time's a Charm: My Journey to Winning the Madrid Title for the 5th Time. Retrieved from Iga Swiatek Official Website
The sports of tennis continued unabated in the French Open as Aryna Sabalenka defeated Iga Swiatek. Sabalenka's triumph over Swiatek marked her first victory on clay against the latter, having struggled previously with a 1-5 record.
