Iga Swiatek is quickly becoming the Queen of Clay. The 23-year-old Pole secured her fourth French Open crown on Saturday, defeating Italian rising star Jasmine Paolini 6-2, 6-1.
This victory cements Swiatek’s place among the top-five winningest women to capture the title in Paris, surpassing legends like Serena Williams and Monica Seles. The current record holder is Chris Evert with seven titles.
Swiatek’s journey to the 2024 championship was largely smooth, with one notable exception in the second round against former Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka. Swiatek faced a match point against the hard-hitting Osaka but managed to pull through in three tight sets.
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Following the Osaka clash, Swiatek dominated her opponents, dropping only two games in both the Round of 16 and quarterfinals. In the semifinals, she convincingly defeated American Coco Gauff, securing her place in a third straight French Open final.
Swiatek’s dominance on clay is further demonstrated by her triumphs in Madrid and Rome last month, making her the first woman to win all three events since Serena Williams did it in 2013.
was almost out of the tournament in the second round, so thank you guys for staying behind my back and cheering for me,” Swiatek said after her victory. “I also needed to believe that this one was going to be possible. It has been a very emotional tournament, so thank you for supporting me.
The one where the 4-time champion thanks her fans 🧡#RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/IVT3LFjvXS
— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) June 8, 2024
Following the Osaka clash, Swiatek dominated her opponents, dropping only two games in both the Round of 16 and quarterfinals. In the semifinals, she convincingly defeated American Coco Gauff, securing her place in a third straight French Open final.
Swiatek’s dominance on clay is further demonstrated by her triumphs in Madrid and Rome last month, making her the first woman to win all three events since Serena Williams did it in 2013.
During Saturday’s post-match ceremony, Swiatek was flanked by two women who each won 18 Grand Slam singles titles, Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova. Evert remarked before this French Open that she believes Swiatek could eventually surpass her record of seven championships in Paris.
🏆🏆🏆🏆
— Iga Świątek (@iga_swiatek) June 8, 2024
This.was.something.else. pic.twitter.com/CyQKtGkjKW
Swiatek will now carry her momentum to the grass courts of London, where she will be the No. 1 seed at Wimbledon. Her best result at the All England Club to date was reaching the quarterfinals in 2023. However, she did win the junior Wimbledon singles title in 2018.
Paolini, ranked No. 15, will find herself in the top 10 when the new rankings are released on Monday. Her French Open journey is not over yet, as she will compete in the doubles final with partner Sara Errani on Sunday against 2023 U.S. Open singles champion Coco Gauff and Katerina Siniakova.
With her fourth French Open title, Swiatek continues to build a legacy that promises to leave a lasting mark on the sport. As she looks ahead to Wimbledon, the tennis world watches eagerly to see if the Queen of Clay can conquer the grass as well.
