Aryna Sabalenka has ended Iga Swiatek’s dominant reign at Roland Garros in stunning fashion.
The World No. 1 overcame the No. 5 seed Swiatek 7-6(1), 4-6, 6-0 in Thursday’s French Open semifinal, securing her first final appearance at Roland Garros and her first Grand Slam final on a surface other than hard court. A three-time Grand Slam champion and two-time runner-up, Sabalenka needed 2 hours and 19 minutes to hand four-time champion Swiatek her first loss at the tournament since 2021, snapping a 26-match win streak in Paris.
Swiatek, the dominant force at Roland Garros since claiming her first title in 2020, now holds a 40-3 win-loss record at the event. This was only the second Grand Slam meeting between the two stars; Swiatek had previously edged Sabalenka in the 2022 US Open semifinals. Coming into Thursday’s match, the Polish star held a 5-1 clay-court head-to-head advantage over Sabalenka. However, 2024 marked the first time since 2020 that Swiatek entered the French Open without a clay-court title to her name.
Sabalenka’s win also marks her tour-leading 40th main-draw victory of the season, reinforcing her position at the top of the women’s game. She has now won her last five Grand Slam semifinals, underscoring her growing dominance on the biggest stages.
Up next, Sabalenka will await the winner of the second semifinal between No. 2 seed Coco Gauff and French wild card Lois Boisson to learn who she’ll face in Saturday’s final. Gauff, a former finalist in Paris, brings her own Grand Slam pedigree into the match, and a potential showdown between Sabalenka and Gauff would be one of the most anticipated finals in recent memory.
