Iga Swiatek further solidified her standing as a formidable force on clay courts by sealing her third consecutive French Open title with a resounding 6-2 6-1 win over the 12th-seeded Jasmine Paolini on Saturday. This win gives her her fifth Grand Slam trophy. Swiatek currently stands fourth in terms of successive victories at Roland Garros in the Open era, only surpassed by Chris Evert (29), Monica Seles (25), and Justine Henin (24), following her 21st consecutive win at this favoured court.
The 23-year-old, who came to Paris in top form after her wins in Madrid and Rome, extended her sequence of victorious matches on clay to a personal record of 19 this year. This accomplishment was celebrated with her fourth French Open win in the past five years.
“I’m thrilled to be here, this place is dear to me. Frankly, I look forward to returning every year. I nearly round-seconded out of the competition, I’m grateful to you guys for standing by me and cheering. It was a highly emotional tournament for me,” said Swiatek while holding up the Suzanne Lenglen trophy.
She also extended her congratulations to Paolini on her unexpected progress to the singles and doubles finals of the women’s events.
“Well done on an incredible tournament, we’ll face each other many more times in the finals. Best of luck to your team too,” said Swiatek, extending her good wishes for Paolini’s doubles final match on Sunday.
Despite having a strong start to the match, Swiatek had a slight struggle to claim the upper hand in the early stages of the match, but managed to bounce back almost immediately.
Paolini, only the third Italian woman after Francesca Schiavone and Sara Errani to make it to the final of Roland Garros since professional tennis was established in 1968, matched Swiatek stride for stride but lost her momentum in the sixth game.
As the momentum swung in her favour, Swiatek, recognised as a specialist on clay courts, began to control the game from the baseline, masterfully commanding the angles and closing the first set in 37 minutes after scoring 20 of 24 points after being broken.
Paolini, visibly astonished, relished the encouragement and cheers from the spectators at the central court after scoring a few early points in the subsequent set. But her effort diminished under the afternoon sun as Swiatek established a 4-0 lead by breaking twice.
Swiatek, having only relinquished a set during the second round of the tournament in a tense match against Naomi Osaka – where she miraculously defended a match point – celebrated a 10-game winning streak before Paolini scored. A late rally wasn’t to be and the deciding point loomed.
The win was sealed for Swiatek when a shot by Paolini overshot the target. Swiatek dropped to her knees in celebration, her fists clenched and released a triumphant howl, before rejoining her team in the spectators’ seats for further celebrations.
Paolini praised Swiatek, expressing, “Playing against you here is indeed this sport’s most rigorous test.”
Paolini expressed her appreciation for her time, saying, “I have spent perhaps more than 15 days here. They have been the pinnacle of my existence so far. And it’s not ended yet – the doubles final is tomorrow.
“It’s been an intensely-felt fortnight and my emotions are jubilant. I hold immense pride in my team for our journey here. Today was distinctly challenging, but I am proud of my own performance as well.”