Aryna Sabalenka ended Queen of Clay Iga Swiatek's dominance at the French Open, says 'the job is not done yet'
PARIS, FRANCE: Aryna Sabalenka has brought an end to Iga Swiatek's dominance on the clay surface as she won the French Open semi-finals. Sabalenka, currently World No. 1, managed to achieve what no one had been able to do in four years as she overcame Swiatek's strong defensive skills with her powerful and determined game.
Having their first Grand Slam match since the 2022 US Open, Sabalenka also stopped Swiatek's 26-match winning streak at the tournament, finishing the intense battle with a final scoreline of 7-6 (7-1), 4-6, 6-0. This also marks Sabalenka's first final at Roland-Garros. With this, the athlete expressed: 'Honestly, it feels incredible… I understand the job is not done yet, but I'm thrilled with the performance and this win.' Highlights of the match
The match took a turn when Swiatek found her rhythm on the court, winning four games in a row. However, Sabalenka fought back, held her serve, and then gave an impressive forehand on the run to break Swiatek. Sabalenka then took a 6-5 lead.
However, as the match progressed, Swiatek's play became much more aggressive and precise, making it tough for Sabalenka to maintain control. Sabalenka regrouped and played a near-perfect tie-break, dropping only one point to win the first set.
Both players showcased their skills and strengths. Swiatek started upping her game, coming to the net more often, a rare strategy for her, which yielded great results, b ut in the deciding set, Sabalenka came out as hyped as ever. She gave it her all, and she quickly broke Swiatek's serve to take a 2-0 lead.
This shook Swiatek's confidence, and when Sabalenka broke her again, it felt like the match was slipping, already veering away from the defending champion. Swiatek's frustration was evident in her body language as Sabalenka sealed the win, hitting a final backhand winner past Swiatek.
With the outcome, Swiatek admitted: 'I love playing here, so for sure I'm happy that I was fortunate enough to play so many great tournaments here… Even this one, you know, I feel like I played better than in the weeks before. I'm just happy that I have this place to come back to every year and just try to push myself.'
Now, Sabalenka would battle against Coco Gauff, who ended Lois Boisson's run with a 6-1, 6-2 win.
In a social media post, Sabalenka shared: 'My first @rolandgarros final, but the job's not done yet.'
Netizens showed their support by commenting on the post. They said, 'You have so many fans that believe in you and are rooting for you. Believe in yourself and fight for every single point, and you will be victorious. I love you so much, Aryna! Congratulations 🥺🫶🏽,' 'Reigning Queen of Tennis 🦁🐯🤩I am rooting for you with every ounce possible—just like every ounce of effort you show us!! We are in this together – we love you so much—you got this, Aryna—your team knows you will figure this out! Go get the win! 🏆🏆🏆🏆🥇🥇🥇🥇', 'You can do it! 💪🏻 unstoppable girl 🧡🔥👑,' and 'Proud of you, but the job is indeed not done yet. Bring it home, Aryna ❤️.'
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