Aryna Sabalenka delivered a stunning performance on Thursday to end Iga Swiatek’s dominant reign at Roland Garros and secure a place in her first-ever French Open final. The world number three defeated Swiatek 7-6 (7/1), 4-6, 6-0 in a match that marked the end of the Pole’s 26-match win streak in Paris.
Swiatek, a three-time French Open champion, was bidding to become the first woman in over a century to win four consecutive titles at Roland Garros. But Sabalenka, known for her aggressive baseline game, held her nerve in the first-set tiebreak and then rebounded after losing the second set to produce a flawless final set. Swiatek collapsed under pressure, managing just six points and committing 12 unforced errors in the third.
“Iga is the toughest opponent, especially here at Roland Garros,” said Sabalenka. “I’m really proud that I was able to stay focused and get the win.”
Sabalenka’s win also marks the first time Swiatek has ever lost a deciding set at the French Open. With this victory, the Belarusian moves into the final as the favourite to win her fourth Grand Slam title—but her first on clay. She previously won the US Open in 2023 and the Australian Open in 2023 and 2024.
On the other side of the draw, Coco Gauff showed why she is considered one of the brightest stars in the sport. The American second seed breezed past French wildcard Lois Boisson 6-1, 6-2 in just 69 minutes on Court Philippe Chatrier. Gauff kept her cool despite the partisan crowd and quickly shut down any chance of an upset.
“When you were chanting her name, I was thinking mine,” Gauff joked in her on-court interview. “I’ll enjoy this one, but there’s still work to do.”
Gauff and Sabalenka are tied 5-5 in their head-to-head record. The last time they met in a major final, Gauff triumphed over Sabalenka at the 2023 US Open. Now, Sabalenka has a chance to even the score and claim her first clay-court Slam title.
Meanwhile, French fans saw their hopes dashed as Boisson, ranked 361st in the world, couldn’t repeat her giant-killing feats from earlier rounds, where she defeated top-10 stars Jessica Pegula and Mirra Andreeva. She committed 33 unforced errors in the semi-final and struggled against Gauff’s pace and accuracy.
Elsewhere, in mixed doubles, Italy’s Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori claimed the title with a 6-4, 6-2 victory over Americans Taylor Townsend and Evan King. This is their second Grand Slam mixed doubles title, having also won the US Open last year.
In the men’s draw, Novak Djokovic fought back from a set down to defeat Alexander Zverev 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4. The 38-year-old will face world number one Jannik Sinner in the semi-final, as he continues his quest for a record 25th Grand Slam singles title.
