Iga Swiatek clinched her third consecutive French Open title by defeating Jasmine Paolini 6-2, 6-1.
As the world number one, she faced the 12th-seeded Italian Paolini, a first-time Grand Slam finalist, and secured victory in 68 minutes. This win marks Swiatek’s fourth French Open title in five years, placing her among the sport’s legends.
At just 23, Swiatek has matched Rafael Nadal’s record of four Roland Garros titles at the same age. She has been victorious in all five Grand Slam finals she has competed in, with her other Grand Slam victory at the 2022 US Open. Notably, Swiatek joins Justine Henin, Chris Evert, and Steffi Graf as the fourth woman in the Open era to win the Coupe Suzanne Lenglen four times.
Henin was the last to win three consecutive titles at this tournament from 2005 to 2007, a feat first accomplished by Monica Seles in the early 1990s. Paolini, aged 28, had shown significant promise throughout the tournament but faced a challenging opponent in Swiatek. Before this tournament, Paolini had only advanced beyond the fourth round at a Grand Slam once, at the Australian Open earlier this year.
Despite her loss, Paolini’s performance this season reflects significant improvement, dispelling her belief that she needed “a miracle” to win against top players. However, the final against Swiatek proved overwhelming for her, with Swiatek displaying formidable strength and strategy.
Swiatek’s journey to the final included a remarkable comeback against Naomi Osaka in the second round, where she saved a match point to avoid an early exit. This victory spurred her onwards through the tournament, overcoming challenges from reigning Wimbledon and US Open champions Marketa Vondrousova and Coco Gauff.
The final showcased Swiatek’s assertive playstyle, as she quickly took control of the match, pushing Paolini into defensive positions and capitalizing on her errors. This performance, particularly dominant, marked the fewest games won by an opponent in a final here since Henin’s victory in 2007.
