Amid the electric tension of Roland Garros 2025, where the red clay courts of Paris pulse with the drama of Grand Slam tennis, Iga Swiatek, the four-time French Open champion, brought a burst of levity to her post-match press conference on May 30. Fresh off a hard-fought 6-2, 7-5 third-round victory over Romania’s Jaqueline Cristian, the 23-year-old Pole was asked a loaded question: would she prefer to face Jelena Ostapenko or Elena Rybakina in the fourth round? Her response—a sheepish “No,” followed by uncontrollable laughter—lit up the room. “Am I a good liar? Let’s say it doesn’t matter, really. Oh my God, I couldn’t play poker!” Swiatek quipped, her giggles betraying the weight of facing either of two formidable opponents as she chases a historic fourth consecutive Roland Garros title.
Swiatek’s attempt to dodge the question was understandable, given the stark contrast between her matchups with Ostapenko and Rybakina. Ostapenko, the 2017 French Open champion, holds an imposing 6-0 head-to-head record against Swiatek, a rare blemish for the world No. 5. The Latvian’s aggressive, winner-heavy style—described as a “breathtaking barrage” by analysts—has consistently unsettled Swiatek, with recent victories in Doha and Stuttgart exposing vulnerabilities in her serve, which drops to a 52% first-serve win rate against Ostapenko. “Every time I step on the court with her, it’s another battle, I’m ready for it,” Ostapenko said after their latest clash, her confidence palpable. Rybakina, the 2022 Wimbledon champion, presents a more balanced challenge, with their head-to-head tied at 4-4. Her powerful serve and flat groundstrokes, showcased in a 6-4, 6-4 win over Swiatek at the 2023 Australian Open, demand precision. “I’m nervous every time I’m on court, but I try to show calm,” Rybakina once noted, a mindset that makes her a dangerous foe.
The question became moot when Rybakina demolished Ostapenko 6-2, 6-2 in the third round, setting up a blockbuster fourth-round clash with Swiatek on June 1. Rybakina’s performance, fueled by her Strasbourg title and a commanding clay season, was a statement of intent, dropping just four games in under an hour on Court Suzanne-Lenglen. “Elena is winning, so yeah, we’ll see,” Swiatek had said cautiously, her poker face faltering as the result unfolded. The scheduling of Rybakina’s match on a secondary court sparked fan outrage, with one social media post fuming, “Why is Iga not on Chatrier? It’s disrespectful to a four-time champion!” Swiatek, however, embraced the daytime slot, noting it aids her recovery. “On clay it gives the ball the extra bounce, but it’s about the control,” she said, explaining her equipment tweaks—adjusting racket strings for the 30-degree heat—to maintain her edge.
Swiatek’s 2025 Roland Garros campaign has been a testament to her resilience. Unseeded at No. 5—her lowest Grand Slam seeding since 2022—she dispatched Rebecca Sramkova and Emma Raducanu in straight sets before surviving Cristian’s second-set surge. Her 38-2 record in Paris, matching Chris Evert’s Open Era dominance, positions her as a favorite to become the first woman since Suzanne Lenglen in 1923 to win four straight French Open titles. Yet, her 2024 season was turbulent, marked by a doping suspension, a coaching switch to Wim Fissette, and no titles since June 2024. Tim Henman, observing her “tense” post-match demeanor, suggested the pressure of expectations might be creeping in, a view echoed by Justine Henin’s warning of a “vicious circle” of perfectionism.
The upcoming Rybakina clash promises a tactical battle, with Swiatek’s clay-court mastery—bolstered by her “phenomenal athleticism,” as noted by analysts—facing Rybakina’s recent Cincinnati win over her. “Both matches are going to be a challenge,” Swiatek admitted, her laughter masking the stakes. Her admiration for Rafael Nadal’s calm after a 2021 loss—“He was chill, like, ‘Oh, it’s just a tennis match’”—guides her mindset. As the women’s final looms on June 7, Swiatek’s humor and resilience, captured in her poker-face flop, keep her as the heart of Roland Garros’ narrative, ready to battle for history on the Parisian clay.
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