ga Swiatek celebrates after winning the French Open title on June 10, 2023. | REUTERS REUTERS
Iga Swiatek will be looking to join a select band of players who have lifted the Suzanne Lenglen Cup four times when she begins the defense of her French Open title next week.
Since tennis turned professional in 1968, Chris Evert, Steffi Graf and Justine Henin are the only women with at least four titles at Roland Garros, and on current form, few would bet against Swiatek adding her name to that illustrious list.
After securing back-to-back titles in WTA 1000 events in Madrid and Rome, the world No. 1 will come out swinging in Paris on the back of a 12-match winning streak as she chases a fourth triumph in five years at the clay-court Grand Slam.
The 22-year-old will also be bidding to become the first player since Serena Williams in 2013 to win the Madrid-Rome-Paris titles in the same season.
“She lives to play on clay … She’s playing really well, so it’s going to be tough to beat her,” two-time Italian Open champion Elina Svitolina told the WTA.
American great Martina Navratilova summed up why Swiatek is such a formidable force on red dirt.
“She’s been Chris Evert-like,” the 18-time Grand Slam champion was quoted as saying by the WTA. “That topspin drives you nuts, and I think she moves as good as anybody. Clay, she’s got that down to perfection, the sliding and the movement and recovery,
“Just wears you out from the baseline, playing aggressive. She’s got the consistency and the major wins. That’s why she’s been No.1 for so long. Paris is the perfect venue for her game.”
Swiatek certainly left world No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka wondering what more she needs to do to get the better of her Polish rival.
Swiatek saved three championships points to defeat Sabalenka in the Madrid final two weeks ago and then came out on top again in a showdown between world’s top two in the Italian Open final, swatting aside the Belarusian 6-2, 6-3 to win the 21st title of her career.
Unsurprisingly, she feels more confident heading into Roland Garros this year than she did 12 months ago, when a thigh injury forced her to quit the 2023 Italian Open during her quarterfinal against Elena Rybakina.
“I feel like I’m in a different place,” Swiatek said.” I’m still focusing on the same things, but I remember last year I was more nervous and more stressed. I felt more pressure. This time I’m kind of using the way I feel to just enjoy everything more,” Swiatek said.
“I just want to stay in my rhythm, stay in my zone, be focused.”
She also knows she will have a target on her back but is ready to face that challenge.
“I’m No. 1 so I’m the favorite everywhere if you look at rankings. But rankings don’t play, so … I’ll do everything step by step and we’ll see.”
