But who can beat Iga Swiatek at Roland Garros? The question arises and the more the weeks pass, the more the answer becomes clear: no one. This Saturday, her duel against Aryna Sabalenka in the final in Rome would say a lot about what was going to await us at Porte d’Auteuil in a few days. Because the Belarusian, 2nd player in the world, remains Swiatek’s main opponent, perhaps the only one who can challenge the hegemony on clay of the three-time winner of Roland-Garros (2020, 2022, 2023).
The conclusion was dry and clear: 6-2, 6-3 defeat which gives an idea of Swiatek’s margin. As in 2021 and 2022, Swiatek ruled the roost at the Foro Italico: the Pole did not lose a set during her fifth participation in the Roman tournament and delivered her best performance during a long one-sided final. At the age of 22, she accomplished a rare feat, achieved only twice, the last time in 2013 by Serena Williams, with the Madrid-Rome clay court double. Suffice it to say that the outcome of Roland-Garros 2024 in the women’s draw looks like a no-brainer.
Iga Swiatek achieves the Madrid – Rome double in 2024 after her victory in the final against Aryna Sabalenka.
Credit: Getty Images
Grand Slams are different tournaments
“I am number 1 in the world, in every tournament I play, I am favorite, but the ranking does not make you win, we will see what happensdeclared the Pole at a press conference after her demonstration of the day. I have confidence in myself, I feel like I’m playing well (…) but the Grand Slams are different tournaments, there is more pressure on and off the courts.” Certainly, but his statistics on ocher leave little room for uncertainty. Swiatek played his eleventh final on clay and only lost two. On earth, his record for the year is now 14 victories for a single defeat inflicted on Stuttgart by Elena Rybakina, package in Rome.
So, if in the men’s table, between the injuries of some, the mishaps of others and the enormous question mark Nadal, it is very difficult to distinguish a head that sticks out, Swiatek very much dominates all the others in the predictions to the final victory. Today more than ever.