On the hallowed red clay of Roland Garros, Iga Swiatek continues to etch her name into tennis history, powering into her fourth consecutive French Open semi-final with a commanding 6-1, 7-5 victory over Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina on June 3, 2025. The Polish sensation, a four-time champion at the tournament, extended her remarkable winning streak to 26 matches, tying Monica Seles for the second-longest women’s streak in the Open Era and closing in on Chris Evert’s record of 29 consecutive victories. With a 40-2 record at the event, Swiatek matched Björn Borg as the second-fastest player to reach 40 main-draw singles wins, trailing only Rafael Nadal’s 41-match mark. As she prepares to face world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in a blockbuster semi-final, Swiatek’s relentless dominance on clay reaffirms her status as the undisputed “Queen of Clay.”
Swiatek’s latest triumph was a testament to her mental fortitude and tactical brilliance. Despite a challenging 2025 season marked by early exits in Stuttgart, Rome, and Madrid, where she fell to Coco Gauff and Danielle Collins, the 24-year-old has rediscovered her magic in Paris. Her fourth-round clash against Elena Rybakina, a former Wimbledon champion, saw her rally from a set and a break down, trailing 6-1, 2-0, to clinch a 1-6, 6-3, 7-5 thriller. “First set, I felt like I was playing against Jannik Sinner,” Swiatek quipped, acknowledging Rybakina’s ferocious start. “I needed to do something to get back into the game. With her playing like that, I didn’t have a lot of hope. At the end, I was able to play my game, and I am super happy.” Her ability to problem-solve under pressure, leveraging her heavy topspin forehand to push Rybakina back, turned the tide and boosted her confidence.
The Svitolina match showcased Swiatek’s adaptability. After a blistering first set where she dropped just one game, the second set tested her resolve as Svitolina, known for her tenacity, fought back. “I’m just happy that I was super solid in the last game and didn’t give any free points,” Swiatek said, reflecting on her ability to save all six break points in the second set against Jaqueline Cristian in the third round. Her 6-2, 7-5 win over Cristian had tied Evert’s record for 38 wins in her first 40 French Open matches, a milestone Swiatek was unaware of until recently. “I had no idea about it, so…” she laughed, her focus fixed on the moment rather than historical benchmarks.
Swiatek’s journey to the semi-finals has been a blend of old and new. Working with sports psychologist Daria Abramowicz since 2019, she’s leaned heavily on mental preparation to overcome a trying year, including an anti-doping investigation and a brief loss of the No. 1 ranking to Sabalenka. “I think I needed that kind of win to feel these feelings that I’m able to win under pressure,” she said after the Rybakina match, emphasizing its transformative impact. Her coach, Wim Fissette, has helped refine her serve, which struggled early against Rybakina but stabilized with angled, body-targeted deliveries. Against Svitolina, her footwork—described as unmatched with its “squeaking and shuffling”—allowed her to dictate rallies, even hitting a backhand drop volley that drew gasps from the crowd.
Now, with five French Open titles in six appearances and a 2024 final win over Jasmine Paolini (6-2, 6-1), Swiatek stands two victories from a historic four-peat, a feat not achieved since Justine Henin’s 2005-07 run. “I love this place, honestly,” Swiatek told the Roland Garros crowd last year, a sentiment that resonates as she chases a fifth title at age 24. Her 8-4 head-to-head edge over Sabalenka, including a 2022 US Open semi-final win, makes her the slight favorite, but Sabalenka’s own 10-match Grand Slam quarter-final streak promises a fierce battle. “Aryna has a game for every surface, so I need to focus on myself, do the work, be brave in my shots and just go for it,” Swiatek said, bracing for the challenge.
As Swiatek continues her Parisian reign, her 125 weeks at No. 1 and 22 WTA titles, including 10 at the 1000-level, underscore a career of staggering consistency. From her 37-match win streak in 2022 to her current 26-match Roland Garros run, she’s redefined clay-court excellence, drawing comparisons to Nadal, her idol. With the tennis world watching, Swiatek’s quest for history at Roland Garros is a saga of resilience, skill, and an unbreakable love for the clay.
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