Swiatek and Sabalenka preview their Roland-Garros semi-final clash
The two title-favourites will contest a 13th meeting on Thursday.
Antoine Couvercelle / Panoramic
The two title-favourites for Roland-Garros – Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek will contest a 13th meeting on Thursday in a much anticipated semi-final match.
Both have had relatively straightforward routes into the last four, with the world No 1 not dropping a single set, whilst the four-time champion did so against Elena Rybakina in the quarter-finals.
The Pole has had the majority of the success in their clay-court meetings, winning five out of their six matches contested on the surface – with the sole loss coming in the final of the Madrid Masters in 2023.
Additionally, the pair has only met once at Grand Slam-level, with Swiatek claiming the a three-set victory at the 2022 US Open.
Overall, their head-to-head stands at 8-4 in Swiatek’s favour.
Sabalenka – i’m super excited to Go out there and fight
The world No 1 had an impressive clay-court season coming into the Parisian Grand Slam, reaching the final in Stuttgart and lifting the title at the WTA 1000 event in Madrid.
Whilst the two players aren’t known to have the warmest on-court relationship on tour, the Belarusian is excited for Thursday’s clash and reveals that their connection has gotten ‘better’ as of recent.
“Yeah, I mean, before it wasn’t any communication, any practices with her, but now we are getting better,” said Sabalenka, after being asked about her evolving relationship with the five-time Grand Slam champion.
“We get along better, and we practice more often, and we know each other quite well. We’ve had a lot of great battles in the past. If it’s going to be Iga, I’m super excited, and it’s high-level matches. Yeah, I’m super excited to go out there and to fight and to do everything I need to get the win.”
“I don’t know [what started the improvement],” she – later – continued.
“I don’t know actually. I think everything started when I just came to her and asked to do TikTok in that Finals in Riyadh. Since that, we were, like, Okay, maybe we can communicate, we can be good to each other, we can practice sometimes (smiling). So I think that was, like, the first step to a better relationship.”
Swiatek – OUR RIVALRY IS PUSHING BOTH OF US
Swiatek and Sabalenka shared a practice session before the start of the tournament, something which is very unusual for players of their high statures.
Unlike the world No 1, the Pole has had mixed results in the last 12 months, failing to reach a final at any event since her Roland-Garros triumph last year. Swiatek also received a one-month suspension (September 12 – October 4th) from the tour as a result of testing positive for the prohibited substance trimetazidine.
Despite this, the five-time Grand Slam champion is on a 26-match winning streak in Paris and – no matter her results in the prior 12 months – it is always a huge risk to bet against Swiatek on the red clay.
“Well, we just played one hour, so we basically just warmed up and played points, so it wasn’t like a normal practice,” stated the world No 5, when asked if she had learned anything during her pre-tournament hitting session with Sabalenka.
“It was more like just playing points, you know.
“I don’t know who approached who. I think the coaches talked. I don’t know, Wim talks with everybody, so I’m not sure whose idea was that. I mean, it’s great always to practice with Aryna. She gives a great rhythm, and the practice will have quality, you know, so it was great.
“Honestly, it was like two weeks ago. It was the first points that I played after Rome. I think a lot changed since then. No point to, like — yeah, I don’t really have a lot to say about the practice.”
Just like the Belarusian, Swiatek is seemingly ready to relish the opportunity to claim a big win in the last four, admitting that their rivalry is ‘pushing’ both of them forward – a phrase reminiscent of the ‘Big Three’, as well as the relationship of Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner.
“Yeah, I mean, for sure you need to be 100% [against her], and you need to be there, but I wouldn’t say it’s different against Coco or against good players overall, like against the top 5, you know?,” analysed Swiatek.
“Yeah, I don’t know if she elevates my game. Against every player, we play different way, so it’s hard to compare. But for sure our rivalry is pushing both of us, I think, but it’s not only about the level of tennis. It’s about like everything, how we work, and how professional we are. So I can say that for sure.”
