Tennis-Win over Swiatek was nothing special, still work to be done-Sabalenka coach
Jun 5, 2025; Paris, FR; Aryna Sabalenka returns a shot during her match against Iga Swiatek of Poland on day 12 at Roland Garros Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Susan Mullane-Imagn Images
PARIS (Reuters) - World number one Aryna Sabalenka's French Open semi-final victory over four-time champion Iga Swiatek on Thursday carried her to her first ever final in Paris but no one from her team is celebrating her big win over the 'queen of clay' just yet.
Sabalenka battled past the defending champion in three sets to set up a final against second seed American Coco Gauff.
The Belarusian is seeking to add her first claycourt Grand Slam to her collection that already includes two consecutive Australian Open titles in 2023-24 and last year's U.S. Open crown. All three of these titles were won on hardcourts.
But for her coach Anton Dubrov the key is for the 27-year-old to remain grounded despite the big win over the best female claycourt player in the past two decades.
"It was a great match against Iga, but I don't see it as something like as a huge win right now," Dubrov told a press conference on Friday.
"Maybe in a few weeks, few months I will look back and say it's great, but for now I don't see that it was something special."
Sabalenka has said that for years she was told that she would not succeed on clay as the surface was not necessarily suited to her power game.
But it was this game that carried her past Swiatek, with her powerful serve helping dish out a bagel in the last set.
"The job is not done. So we don't experience this kind of high, like emotions right now," Dubrov said. "It's like what's the next step. Great level, good quality, but we need to move on and do something else.
"What we're trying to message to Aryna is we cannot control the result, but we can control how we can do it, and only the result can show us, was this work actually what we need or was it something else."
(Reporting by Karolos Grohmann; Editing by Christian Radnedge)
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Star
2 hours ago
- The Star
Soccer-Football rivalry gone too far: Argentine club Newell's sanctions 9-year-olds over rival player photo
FILE PHOTO: An-18-meter long Argentina shirt featuring soccer star Lionel Messi's surname is displayed at the Monumento a la Bandera (The National Flag Memorial), in Rosario, Argentina, December 16, 2022. REUTERS/Agustin Marcarian/File Photo (Reuters) -A simple photo between kids and a professional footballer has spiralled into controversy in Argentina, after Newell's Old Boys sanctioned youth players for posing with Rosario Central's Ignacio Malcorra, a move seen as a shocking escalation of the city's fierce football rivalry. Newell's, the Rosario club that once nurtured a young Lionel Messi, suspended the academy players from training and revoked their scholarships for three months after discovering their photo with Malcorra, who has played for bitter rivals Rosario Central during five seasons. The decision, which club officials framed as a protective measure following reported fan threats, has drawn strong criticism from both the public and prominent figures, while Malcorra himself expressed his dismay at the row. "I feel sad for them. Children are innocent and don't know much about what they're doing," Malcorra told reporters on Friday, recounting the chance encounter at a youth tournament three months ago. "They just wanted to take a photo with a top flight player, like any child would." As the photo went viral on social media only recently, club officials said earlier this week the matter had been dealt with internally, while some ultra-supporters had reportedly demanded the children to be expelled. Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni also condemned the sanctions. "If you dream of playing in the First Division one day, it doesn't matter who you play with," he told reporters before Thursday's match against Chile. National Security Minister Patricia Bullrich on Friday called the sanctions "disgraceful" on social media, suggesting the club had bowed to pressure from hardline supporters. The football rivalry, also known as the Rosario derby, reflects the deep footballing identity of the industrial port of Rosario - a city that produced eight-time Ballon d'Or winner Messi through Newell's and recently welcomed Argentina talisman Angel Di Maria back to Central. Newell's said the affected children "continue to be members of the club" and that directors would meet with parents next week "to continue listening to them, supporting them, and taking appropriate action." (Reporting by Janina Nuno Rios in Mexico City; Editing by Matthew Lewis)
New Straits Times
2 hours ago
- New Straits Times
Sinner ends Djokovic record bid, to face Alcaraz in French Open final
PARIS: Jannik Sinner battled past Novak Djokovic in a gripping French Open semi-final on Friday to book a first Grand Slam final meeting with reigning champion Carlos Alcaraz after the Spaniard saw off Lorenzo Musetti. World number one Sinner held off a record-chasing Djokovic with an impressive 6-4, 7-5, 7-6 (7/3) win on Court Philippe Chatrier to reach his maiden Roland Garros final. "He is the best player in the history of our sport, playing against him here is amazing," said the 23-year-old Sinner. "Of course I try to not think about this but before coming on court you feel the tension." Djokovic showed his trademark fighting qualities in a dramatic contest that lasted three hours and 16 minutes, but three missed set points late in the third set ultimately put paid to his hopes of a comeback. The 38-year-old will next attempt to win a record-breaking 25th Grand Slam title at Wimbledon next month. "Obviously Wimbledon is next, which is my childhood favourite tournament," said the world number six. "I'm going to do everything possible to get myself ready. I guess my best chances maybe are Wimbledon, to win another Slam, or faster hard court, maybe Australia or something like that." Alcaraz earlier booked his place in Sunday's final when opponent Musetti retired with a leg injury in the fourth set of their last-four tie. Sinner, who is yet to drop a set in the tournament, will be hoping to gain revenge on Alcaraz after losing to the Spaniard in five sets in the semi-finals last year. Alcaraz has won his last four matches against Sinner, including in the Italian Open final in May when Sinner returned from a three-month doping ban. "Sunday is going to be very difficult, I know my head-to-head lately doesn't look great against Carlos but let's see what I can do," added Sinner. Djokovic's exit ensures that a sixth successive major title will be lifted by either Sinner or world number two Alcaraz, in what appears increasingly likely to be a permanent changing of the guard. "This could have been the last match ever I played here, so I don't know," said Djokovic. "I don't know really what tomorrow brings in a way at this point in my career. You know, I'm going to keep on keeping on." Sunday will see the first Grand Slam final to be played between two men born in the 2000s. Neither Sinner or Alcaraz have ever lost a major final. It is also the first Grand Slam tournament in which the top two seeds will contest both the men's and women's finals since the 2013 US Open, with Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff set to face off for the Coupe Suzanne Lenglen on Saturday. Djokovic had his chances, but Sinner consistently proved too strong in the key moments, including when breaking immediately after failing to serve out the second set. The Italian hit 44 winners in total over the gruelling three sets, showing excellent resilience to stave off three set points in the 10th game of the third. Earlier, world number two Alcaraz was leading 4-6, 7-6 (7/3), 6-0, 2-0 under the Court Philippe Chatrier roof when Italian Musetti called it quits due to a thigh injury. "It's never great to go through or win a match when it's like this," said the 22-year-old. "He's done an incredible clay season. I wish him all the best, a quick recovery and that he'll be back soon." Alcaraz will aim to win his fifth Grand Slam title in two days' time. "It's been three intense weeks and now I have one step to make," he said. "I'll give everything on Sunday, I've been playing great tennis this tournament." Musetti saved break points in the first and seventh games before grabbing a one-set lead with a break in the 10th game. The Spaniard raced through a second-set breaker, though, taking his third set point when Musetti fired an attempted passing shot into the net. Musetti could not deal with the power coming from the other side of the net in the third set and briefly received treatment on his left thigh. Alcaraz went on to romp through the set, in which eighth seed Musetti mustered only five points, in just 22 minutes. Musetti surrendered another break early in the fourth set as Alcaraz thumped a forehand return into the corner, and the 23-year-old immediately headed to the net to shake his opponent's hand.
The Sun
2 hours ago
- The Sun
Sabalenka, Gauff Set for Epic French Open Final Showdown
WORLD NUMBER one Aryna Sabalenka targets a French Open title that would 'mean the world' in a tantalising final against second-ranked Coco Gauff at Roland Garros on Saturday. It will be the first time the world's top two players have met in a women's Grand Slam final since Caroline Wozniacki defeated Simona Halep to win the 2018 Australian Open. Sabalenka and Gauff faced off in the 2023 US Open final, when the Belarusian led by a set before imploding as the then-teenager Gauff claimed her maiden major title. Their head-to-head record is locked at 5-5, although Sabalenka came out on top in their last meeting in the Madrid Open final last month. The top seed will be playing in her first Slam final not on hard courts. 'In the past I don't know how many years, we've been able to develop my game so much, so I feel really comfortable on this surface and actually enjoy playing on clay,' she said after ending Iga Swiatek's bid for a fourth successive Roland Garros triumph in the semi-finals. 'If I'll be able to get this trophy, it's just going to mean the world for us. 'I'm ready to go in that final and to fight, fight for every point and give everything I have to give to get the win.' Sabalenka snapped Swiatek's 26-match winning run at the French Open with a devastating deciding set that she took 6-0 in just 22 minutes. But the 27-year-old knows it will not be easy against Gauff, who has always been comfortable on clay and has reached at least the quarter-finals in five successive appearances in the tournament. 'It was a big match (against Swiatek), and it felt like a final, but I know that the job is not done yet, and I have to go out there on Saturday, and I have to fight and I have to bring my best tennis,' added three-time major champion Sabalenka. 'I have to work for that title, especially if it's going to be Coco.' Gauff hoping to stay 'calm' Gauff is hoping to become only the third player to win two women's Grand Slam titles before the age of 22 since Maria Sharapova added the 2006 US Open to her famous 2004 Wimbledon win. The others are Swiatek and former world number one Naomi Osaka. It will be the 21-year-old's second Roland Garros final after she was left in tears following a heavy defeat by Swiatek in 2022. 'Obviously here I have a lot more confidence just from playing a Grand Slam final before and doing well in one,' said Gauff. 'I think going into Saturday I'll just give it my best shot and try to be as calm and relaxed as possible.' Sabalenka will be playing in her seventh WTA final of the year, the most by any player at this stage of a season since Serena Williams -- who beat Sharapova to win the title in Paris -- in 2013. Gauff says Sabalenka's power has helped her build a commanding lead at the top of the world rankings. 'I think obviously her ball striking, she can come up with some big shots and big winners pretty much at all areas of the court, so I think her ball striking and also her mentality, she's a fighter as well, she's going to stay in the match regardless of the scoreline.' Gauff is in her first Slam final since beating Sabalenka in New York two years ago, having suffered two semi-final losses since, including to Swiatek at Roland Garros 12 months ago. 'It feels kinda fast, to be honest. US Open doesn't feel like too long ago,' she said.
