Top-ranked Sabalenka ends Swiatek's 26-match French Open win streak

Howard Fendrich · The Associated Press

· Posted: Jun 05, 2025 1:00 PM EDT | Last Updated: June 5

No. 1-ranked Aryna Sabalenka ended Iga Swiatek's 26-match French Open unbeaten streak and reached the last successful Paris for the archetypal clip by utilizing her axenic powerfulness to predominate down the agelong and triumph their semifinal 7-6 (1), 4-6, 6-0 connected Thursday.

Sabalenka's triumph prevented Swiatek from becoming the archetypal pistillate to triumph 4 consecutive championships astatine the clay-court Grand Slam tourney since professionals were admitted successful 1968.

It besides gives Sabalenka a accidental to triumph her 4th large title, and archetypal distant from hard courts, aft 2 astatine the Australian Open and 1 astatine the U.S. Open.

"It feels incredible, but I besides recognize that the occupation is not done yet," said Sabalenka, a 27-year-old from Belarus who took the apical WTA ranking from Swiatek past October. "She's the toughest opponent, particularly connected the clay, particularly astatine Roland-Garros. I'm arrogant that I was capable to get this win. It was a pugnacious match, but I managed it, somehow."

In Saturday's women's final, Sabalenka volition look No. 2 Coco Gauff, who reached her 2nd last astatine Roland-Garros by beating Lois Boisson 6-1, 6-2 connected Thursday to extremity the surprising, upset-filled tally by a French wild-card introduction who is ranked No. 361.

This volition beryllium conscionable the 2nd No. 1 vs. No. 2 women's last astatine the French Open successful the past 30 years.

It's besides a rematch of the 2023 U.S. Open final, successful which Gauff bushed Sabalenka to assertion her archetypal large trophy astatine property 19.

Gauff was the runner-up to Swiatek astatine Roland-Garros successful 2022.

Much to the chagrin of the 15,000 oregon truthful locals pulling for their countrywoman nether a closed extortion astatine Court Philippe-Chatrier connected a drizzly day, Gauff vs. Boisson wasn't overmuch of a contest, arsenic mightiness beryllium expected from their rankings and comparative experience.

Gauff took 20 of archetypal 30 points

Then again, that didn't halt Boisson from eliminating some No. 3 Jessica Pegula and No. 6 Mirra Andreeva en way to becoming the archetypal pistillate since 1989 to get to the semifinals successful her Grand Slam debut.

Loud arsenic the assemblage was, repeatedly singing Boisson's archetypal name, Gauff's play spoke volumes, too, arsenic she took 20 of the archetypal 30 points for a 4-0 lead. That signifier held, and by the end, Gauff had claimed 34 of the 51 points that lasted astatine slightest 5 strokes.

Most singular astir Sabalenka's triumph Saturday, perhaps, was the mode — her backmost dotted with flecks of the rust-coloured clay — she dominated successful crunch time, racing done the past set.

"I mean, 6-love," she said. "What tin I say? Couldn't beryllium much cleanable than that."

Swiatek's explanation?

"I mislaid my strength a bit," she said. "Just couldn't propulsion back."

With nowind oregon different elements for the players to confront, some produced immoderate terrific tennis for stretches. But erstwhile Sabalenka decided to plaything away, she rushed Swiatek into mistakes.

This stat says it all: The 3rd acceptable included 12 unforced errors disconnected Swiatek's racket, and zero disconnected Sabalenka's.

"It feels incredible, but I besides recognize that the occupation is not done yet," said Sabalenka, a 27-year-old from Belarus who took the apical WTA ranking from Swiatek past October.

Suspended aft affirmative cause test

This continues a unsmooth agelong for Swiatek, a 24-year-old from Poland, who hasn't reached a last astatine immoderate tourney since walking distant with her 3rd trophy successful a enactment — and 5th Grand Slam rubric wide — from Paris 12 months ago. She precocious slid to No. 5 successful the rankings.

Her rut includes a nonaccomplishment successful the semifinals astatine the 2024 Paris Olympics. Later past season, she was suspended for a period aft investigating affirmative for a banned substance; her mentation was accepted that the effect was caused by a contaminated medicine.

Sabelanka is, unquestionably, arsenic bully arsenic it gets successful women's tennis close now.

Even earlier getting to this final, her six appearances successful rubric matches this twelvemonth were the astir for a pistillate entering the French Open since Serena Williams successful 2013.

And her first-strike tennis, ever specified a menace connected faster surfaces, is intelligibly rather utile connected the slower clay, too. On Saturday, the thuds generated by her interaction with the shot reverberated astir the arena.

"She didn't doubt," Swiatek said. "She conscionable went for it."

Even though Sabalenka broke successful the archetypal crippled and soon led 4-1 — astatine which constituent Swiatek was glancing up astatine her coach, Wim Fissette, successful the stands, hoping for immoderate benignant of penetration that could alteration things — this was not one-way traffic. Swiatek ended up starring 5-4 successful that set, but erstwhile they got to the tiebreaker, Sabalenka asserted herself.

Did the aforesaid successful the last set.

The fans seemed chiefly to beryllium pulling for Swiatek, possibly hoping to spot a spot of history, and broke into chants of "I-ga!" alternatively frequently. That mightiness person rubbed Sabalenka the incorrect way, due to the fact that aft striking a instrumentality winner, she windmilled her arms astatine the mild reaction, arsenic if to say, "Hey! I'm here, too! And I'm No. 1. How astir sending immoderate enactment this way?"