Iga Swiatek is the third woman in the Open era, which began in 1968, to win three consecutive French Open titles. There were moments in mid-April when Iga Swiatek would look at the calendar on her phone and wonder how she was going to make it to June.
The others on that list? Chris Evert, a seven-time champion; Steffi Graf, a six-time champion; and Henin, a fellow four-time champion. To add to the occasion Saturday, Evert and two-time French Open winner Martina Navratilova were on hand for the trophy ceremony, Evert in a gleaming red suit., should he win the men’s title Sunday, will have claim to the title as Rafael Nadal’s successor at Roland Garros the yearThe reality is Nadal’s successor as ruler of red clay is already here.
Born and raised in Italy, Paolini, who is also of Polish and Ghanaian descent through her mother, is just 5-foot-4, inches shorter than most of her elite tennis playing peers, a quality she says limits her serve. And she entered 2024 with just one title and a 78-87 career record. Saturday’s final set up a stylistic clash: Swiatek’s merciless efficiency and sly power against Paolini’s creativity and defense.