Swiatek Defeated, French Open Women's Title Changes Hands

PARIS, THURSDAY - The world number one women's singles tennis player, Aryna Sabalenka, has ended Iga Swiatek's dominance at the 2025 French Open. The Suzanne Lenglen trophy will now be passed to a new champion, either Sabalenka or Cori Gauff.

Sabalenka ended Swiatek's 26-match winning streak on clay courts at Roland Garros, Paris, during the semifinals of the French Open 2025, Thursday (5/6/2025). Of that total, 21 victories led Swiatek to become the champion of the French Open from 2022 to 2024. One other title was won in 2020.

In a match that showcased different styles of play, Sabalenka's powerful style of play led her to her first French Open final, defeating Swiatek 7-6 (1), 4-6, 6-0 after two hours and 19 minutes.

In the other semifinal, despite facing an opponent fully supported by the audience in the stadium, namely Loui Boisson, Coco dominated the match with a victory of 6-1, 6-2. The match lasted one hour and ten minutes shorter than the competition between Sabalenka and Swiatek.

"Iga is the toughest opponent, especially at Roland Garros. I am proud to have won the match," said Sabalenka, the first tennis player to defeat Swiatek in the third set.

Sabalenka, who holds the titles of Grand Slam champion at the Australian Open in 2023 and 2024 as well as the US Open in 2024, has reached the Grand Slam final for the first time on a surface other than hard court.

With her consistent, hard hitting from the baseline, Sabalenka's style of play is better suited to the fast hard courts. However, she uses it as a weapon on the slower clay courts.

Coco, the nickname of Cori Gauff, has a second chance to bring home the Suzanne Lenglen trophy, the symbol of the women's singles champion, after the 2022 French Open final. Two finals and one semifinal in the last four years demonstrate Coco's increasing comfort playing at Roland Garros, even though her opponent in the semifinal had a skill level significantly below hers.

This year, the match against Aryna will be a very tough match. There is a lot of work to be done. (Coco Gauff)

The meeting between Sabalenka and Coco, which will take place on Saturday, marks the first final between the top-ranked and second-ranked tennis players at Roland Garros since Serena Williams faced Maria Sharapova in 2013. At that time, Serena, who was the world number one and top seed, won with a score of 6-4, 6-4.

The final will also mark Coco's third consecutive final in major tournaments on clay courts. She reached the same stage at the WTA 1000 in Madrid and Rome, the warm-up tournaments for the French Open.

Coco, who is 21 years old, became the youngest tennis player to reach the finals of the WTA Madrid, Rome, and French Open. She follows in the footsteps of Chris Evert, Martina Navratilova, and Serena Williams.

However, Coco has homework from those two finals that must be addressed immediately as she has consistently lost. She lost to Sabalenka in Madrid and Jasmine Paolini in Rome.

The defeat in Madrid became the only meeting between Coco and Sabalenka in 2025. Nevertheless, Coco can still use the 5-5 draw from her encounters with Sabalenka as preparation for the upcoming final.

Moreover, Coco also has the experience of defeating the world number one tennis player in a clay tournament, although it occurred four years ago, specifically in the third round of the Rome Masters.

"The 2022 French Open final will certainly help me in the upcoming match. At that time, I was very nervous facing that match. This year, the match against Aryna will be a very tough one. There is a lot of work to be done," said Coco.

With her consistent performance, Sabalenka advanced to the finals of three consecutive Grand Slam tournaments. Previously, she won the 2024 US Open and lost to Madison Keys in the final of the 2025 Australian Open.

Sabalenka follows in the footsteps of three other women's singles players who reached the finals in three consecutive Grand Slams, one of whom is Venus Williams, who appeared in the finals of the French Open, Wimbledon, and the US Open in 2022. There is also Justine Henin, who was a finalist in all four Grand Slams in 2006.

Serena accomplished this twice, first from the French Open 2002 to the Australian Open 2003, and then from Wimbledon 2008 to the Australian Open 2009. Another aspect that sets Serena apart is that she won all Grand Slam titles from the French Open 2002 to the Australian Open 2003.

"This final means a lot to me because for many years my team and I have been working to develop my game on clay courts. I feel increasingly comfortable playing here. If I could win the trophy, it would mean everything," said Sabalenka.

The final ticket for the men's singles will be contested through the semifinals taking place from Friday night to Saturday early morning Indonesian time. The defending champion, Carlos Alcaraz, will face Italian player Lorenzo Musetti in the first match, starting at 19:30 WIB.

However, the match that will attract more attention is the encounter between two tennis players from different generations, Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic. Sinner has become one of the favorites for the men's singles title alongside Alcaraz, but Djokovic should not be underestimated.

Since 2010, Djokovic has never been eliminated before the quarter-finals of the French Open. After winning the title at Roland Garros for the first time in 2016, Djokovic added two more titles at the age of over 30, namely in 2021 at the age of 34 and in 2023 at the age of 36.

Although his participation in the ATP Tour tournaments has decreased, the 38-year-old athlete still manages to reach the second week in almost all Grand Slam events. Therefore, Sinner does not want to be overly confident even though he has won in their last three encounters with Djokovic.

“Djokovic has shown that he can return to his high level of ability. Therefore, the match against him will be very, very difficult. He is very experienced, with 24 Grand Slam titles. That says it all,” said Sinner.

Meanwhile, Sinner is the most consistent tennis player since 2024. The titles of the 2024 US Open, the 2025 Australian Open, and victories in five rounds of the 2025 French Open have made him undefeated in 19 consecutive matches in Grand Slam events.

Sinner also adapted very quickly to the competitive atmosphere, despite not competing for three months, from February to early May, due to a doping-related suspension. Upon returning to competition, Sinner immediately reached the final of the ATP Masters 1000 tournament in Rome, although he ultimately lost to Alcaraz.

"Jannik has an extraordinary appearance. He is the best tennis player in the last two years. I don't have a great chance. I just hope to be able to endure physically," said Djokovic. (afp/ap)