Aryna Sabalenka beats Iga Swiatek to reach French Open final

Aryna Sabalenka serves to Iga Swiatek during their French Open semi-final clash. PHOTO: AFP

UPDATED Jun 06, 2025, 05:25 AM

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PARIS – Aryna Sabalenka ended Iga Swiatek’s bid for a fourth straight French Open title on June 5 as the world No. 1 powered her way to a maiden Roland Garros final.

The Belarusian snapped Swiatek’s French Open winning streak at 26 matches with a 7-6 (7-1), 4-6, 6-0 win and will face second seed Coco Gauff for the title on June 7. The American beat world No. 361 and home heroine Lois Boisson 6-1, 6-2 in the later semi-final.

“Honestly it feels incredible, but I also understand the job is not done yet,” said Sabalenka.

“I’m just thrilled with my performance today and with the win. The atmosphere in the stadium, thank you so much. It makes us feel amazing, so thank you.

“Iga is the toughest opponent, especially on the clay and at Roland Garros. I’m proud that I was able to get this win. It was a tough match, it was tricky, but I managed it somehow and I’m super proud right now .

“I’m glad that I found my serve (in the third set). It was a bit easier with the serve. What can I say, 6-0 – it couldn’t be much more perfect than that!”

Sabalenka’s power was too much for defending champion Swiatek, who was looking to become the first female player in the Open era to win four consecutive titles in Paris.

The 27-year-old has reached the final of her last three Grand Slams – winning the 2024 US Open and losing to Madison Keys in the Australian Open in January – and is the first to do so since Serena Williams in 2016.

Sabalenka edged a topsy-turvy first set that featured eight breaks of serve and a tiebreak, before Polish star Swiatek, 24, hit back to level the match.

The finale turned out to be a complete anti-climax, as Swiatek made 12 unforced errors in the third set and won only six points.

Sabalenka is targeting a fourth Grand Slam title and a first not on hard courts, after winning last season’s US Open and consecutive Australian Opens in 2023 and 2024.

Swiatek has still not reached a WTA final since lifting the Coupe Suzanne Lenglen 12 months ago.

She showed signs of a revival on the Paris clay, where she has dominated since lifting the title as a teenager in 2020, but her game deserted her in the deciding set as she slipped to only the third French Open defeat of her career.

Sabalenka has now won their last two meetings, and five of 13 in total. This was the first time the pair, the dominant players in women’s tennis of the past few years, have gone head to head at a Grand Slam tournament since Swiatek’s win in the 2022 US Open semi-finals en route to the title.

Sabalenka will be a strong favourite to lift the trophy when she takes on Gauff, to whom she lost in the 2023 US Open final.

Earlier in the day, Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori of Italy swept to a 6-4, 6-2 victory over Americans Taylor Townsend and Evan King to claim the mixed doubles crown.

Errani and Vavassori won their second mixed doubles Grand Slam crown, with the first coming at the US Open last season, when they also defeated Townsend and her long-time former partner Donald Young.

The Italian duo were tested early in the first set but saved two break points to secure a tight hold at 1-1, before grabbing the decisive break and taking a 4-3 lead when Townsend sent a forehand wide.

They then dialled up the intensity to overwhelm their opponents, twice breaking serve in the second set before Townsend netted a volley to give the third seeds a dominant win.

The American pairing looked disjointed throughout the match and racked up 25 unforced errors, almost three times as many as Errani and Vavassori’s nine.

“Thanks to Andrea, to my best friend, it’s so much fun to play with you. You’re an amazing person and it’s so special to be here with you,” said Errani.

The 38-year-old reached the Roland Garros women’s singles final in 2012 and has already completed a career Grand Slam in women’s doubles, with five Major titles.

She also won Olympic gold in Paris last summer with compatriot Jasmine Paolini. AFP, REUTERS

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