At Roland Garros on Thursday, No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka dusted off doubts about her clay-court game by toppling defending champion Iga Swiatek 7-6(1), 4-6, 6-0 in a semifinal that echoed with the roar of big shots and the thud of racket on red clay. Flecks of rust-colored earth speckled her back and shoes as she ripped forehand winners under the stadium’s closed roof.
Swiatek’s 26-match unbeaten streak at the French Open came crashing down — and with it her bid for a record fourth straight title. Sabalenka, long tagged a fast-court specialist, rewrote the script by delivering her most disciplined performance on clay yet. This victory clinches her spot in Saturday’s final, where she’ll meet No. 2 Coco Gauff in a showdown few have seen since 2013, and only the second time in 30 years that the world’s top two women contest a match in Paris.
“I’ve spent years being told clay wasn’t my surface,” Sabalenka said. “Now I feel comfortable and even enjoy these conditions. It means everything to me and my team.”
Gauff, the 21-year-old American and 2022 runner-up, advanced with a 6-1, 6-2 win over French wild-card Loïs Boisson. Despite the lopsided scoreline, Gauff’s blend of power and precision underlines why she’s become one of the sport’s fastest-rising stars.
With a total of 26 Grand Slam final appearances between them, Sabalenka and Gauff will stake their claims to a first clay-court major title. Expect high-octane rallies, strategic baseline battles, and a burst of young energy as they chase history under the Parisian sky.
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Sabalenka ends Swiatek's French Open reign, sets up final with Gauff
cgtn.com
