Elena Rybakina thrashes Ostapenko to set up intriguing tussle with Iga Swiatek
Jelena Ostapenko has long been one of the most devastating shot-makers of her generation and every time she steps on to a court, she is there to decide her own destiny in victory or defeat. On Friday afternoon, however, Ostapenko experienced the rare sensation of not being in control as Elena Rybakina put on a devastating exhibition of her effortless, destructive ball-striking to reach the fourth round of the French Open with a 6-2, 6-2 demolition of the former champion.
The most notable consequence of Rybakina's victory, of course, is that she will renew her rivalry with the four-time champion Iga Swiatek in what will be the most highly anticipated match in either singles draw. In the earlier match on Court Suzanne Lenglen, Swiatek closed out her 24th consecutive victory at the French Open by defeating Jaqueline Cristian 6-2, 7-5.
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A week after winning her first title in more than a year in Strasbourg, this victory marks another positive step forward for Rybakina. Much of her past 12 months have been extremely difficult, with the Kazakh falling from her career high ranking of No 3 to her current spot at No 11. Not long ago, Rybakina had positioned herself as the top contender to Swiatek and Aryna Sabalenka. In recent months, she has been her own biggest rival.
Although Rybakina has been frequently sidelined with various illnesses over the past year, her issues have also been personal. In February, her previous longtime coach, Stefano Vukov, was suspended by the WTA tour for a year after the organisation concluded that Vukov had been verbally abusive to Rybakina, breaching the its code of conduct. Despite Rybakina objecting to the suspension, Vukov is banned from attaining accreditation at official WTA events and grand slam tournaments. On Wednesday, Rybakina noted that she continues to work with Vukov on court between tournaments. 'We usually practise together between the tournaments, not when the tournament is on,' she said.
It has been eight years since Ostapenko shocked the tennis world by spectacularly winning the 2017 French Open, while Rybakina won her first grand slam title at Wimbledon in 2021. A battle between two major champions is always a significant event, but the prospect of a meeting with Swiatek, and their respective records against the four-time French Open champion, only added a level of significance to the tie.
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At this point, the match-up between Ostapenko and Swiatek is the most notorious non-rivalry on the tour. After defeating Swiatek en route to winning the Stuttgart Open title last month, Ostapenko is now 6-0 versus the Pole, having defeated her on every surface. Ostapenko is a supreme ball-striker and, when she finds her rhythm, she times the ball more sweetly than almost any other player. Even so, a player as distinguished as Swiatek having such a difficult match-up against a lesser opponent is shocking.
Although Swiatek avoided her greatest nemesis, facing Rybakina is hardly a positive outcome. Their head-to-head record is tied at 4-4 and Rybakina's game matches up well against the Pole, with her powerful first serve neutralising Swiatek's return and she takes time away with her clean, flat ball-striking. As Swiatek attempts to rebuild her confidence on her favourite court after a difficult few months, this will be an enormous test in her push for a fourth consecutive French Open title.
Elsewhere, the top seed Aryna Sabalenka eased into the second week with a comfortable 6-2, 6-3 win over Olga Danilovic of Serbia. Afterwards, Sabalenka said that she is happy for Swiatek to carry the title of favourite, and the pressure that comes with it, in this tournament. 'It's tough to predict in women's tennis,' she said. 'Let's just leave it on Iga since she won it, what, three times in a row, really, right? I will just leave it for her.'
Elsewhere, Amelie Mauresmo, the French Open tournament director, defended the decision not to schedule women's matches during the night sessions. 'For me, the message that I always said, and I will repeat, the conditions did not change from having one unique match in the evening,' said Mauresmo. 'For me, the message is not changing, and it has never been that the girls are not worthy to play at night. It's never been this. I will not accept that you carry this message. That's really clear to me.'
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Follow live coverage of the fourth round at Roland Garros with U.S. stars Ben Shelton and Frances Tiafoe aiming to join Tommy Paul in the quarters Getty Images The fourth round of the 2025 French Open is in full swing as several American stars aim for the quarterfinals at Roland Garros in Paris. Ben Shelton (13) trails Carlos Alcaraz (2), looking to join Tommy Paul (12) in the quarters, with Frances Tiafoe (15) leading Daniel Altmaier. It's Aryna Sabalenka (1) vs. Zheng Qinwen (8) and Iga Świątek (5) vs. Elina Svitolina (13) in the women's singles last eight after wins today. Watch: TNT, truTV, Tennis Channel, Max (U.S.); TNT (UK) TNT, truTV, Tennis Channel, Max (U.S.); TNT (UK) Join the discussion at: live@ GO FURTHER Tennis on clay courts: The unpredictable dance of sun, rain, wind and brick dust at Roland Garros Connections: Sports Edition Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Getty Images A problem Swiatek has had at Roland Garros, from a watchability perspective, is that she's tended to win so easily that her matches have lacked entertainment value. That's what made the start of this set and that game at 2-2 in particular so compelling. The rarity of seeing Świątek having to dig so deep and find a way to turn the tide. In the first set, Świątek was defending the balls she was running down — not that there were very many — using topspin and lobs. It wasn't really working, with her shots either flying long or giving Rybakina an easy ball to put away. This set, she's started sliding into defensive positions with a continental grip, hitting a short slice, especially on the forehand, to get the ball low on Rybakina and make her hit up, rather than flat or down. It's drawn a couple more errors than the first plan. Getty Images Świątek went on a run of 11 straight points there, and has now won 12 of the last 13. Five games in a row for the defending champion, from 0-2 to 5-2. Four fixtures today. One is yet to be decided, with three match line-ups certain: Taylor Townsend/Evan King (4) vs. Estelle Cascino/Geoffrey Blancaneaux Christian Harrison/Nicole Melichar-Martinez vs. Laura Siegemund/Édouard Roger-Vasselin Robert Galloway/Jiang Xinyu vs. Andrea Vavassori/Sara Errani Getty Images Iga Świątek surfs into a forehand passing shot down the line like she's catching a wave and breaks Rybakina to love. This match has turned on that missed volley from Rybakina and Świątek's feet are squeaking across the clay like only hers can. Rybakina 6-1, 2-4* Świątek All the momentum and confidence seems to have drained out of Elena Rybakina and into Iga Świątek. Four games in a row, two breaks in a row for Świątek, who can now serve to make it 5-2 in the second set! 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And Rybakina hangs her head as she misses a very makeable backhand into open court to her left, shunting it wide. A big first serve from Świątek, return netted, and that is a big hold for the Pole. Świątek gets the dip. First, a few cheap errors give her a second break point in the fourth game of the set. Rybakina takes control of the point and draws a weak lob from the four-time champion, but it's so weak that Rybakina doesn't look sure of what to do with it and the ball ends up in the net. Huge service game for Świątek now, who needs to consolidate this break. Getty Images Two games all in the second set! At break point Elena Rybakina was in total control of the point, could and probably should have smashed it away at the net to go back to deuce. Then a floaty, loopy return, Rybakina poised for the simple overhand winner. No! She mistimed it horribly, jumping too early, her shot going almost instantly downwards at an acute angle to land in the net. How has she missed that? Świątek break and we are back level. A momentum-shifting point? Rybakina 6-1, 2-1* Świątek Rybakina looks fallible, human, for the first time in this match after a couple of errors. 30-40 and Świątek's first break point opportunity of the entire match (Rybakina has had six). Massive ace and the chance is gone. But the Kazakh nets and another break point... Getty Images Zheng Qinwen (8)'s match with Liudmila Samsonova (19) went to a first-set tiebreak, and the Chinese player took it 7-5. Close match so far. Zheng loves these courts, having won Olympic gold in last summer's Olympic Games. Getty Images Rybakina's level is about as high as it gets right now. Unless she drastically raises her own, Świątek will need her opponent to have a dip to stay in this match. Rybakina 6-1 *2-1 Świątek Rybakina takes the first two games of the set, eight games to one so far in this match, before an important hold for Świątek. The defending champion needs to find something if she wants to triumph in Paris again. Getty Images Following on from Matt, Świątek acknowledged this week that in her humbling defeats in Madrid and Rome to Coco Gauff and Danielle Collins respectively there were times when she stopped running for balls. It happened here in the final game of that first set too, as Rybakina sent yet another backhand fizzing past her. Świątek, who spent some time off the court after the end of the set, needs to lift herself to avoid a first Roland Garros defeat since 2021. Always struck incidentally when seeing Rybakina in person how cleanly she strikes a ball. A joy to watch when she's playing like this. Getty Images When Iga Świątek was knocked out of the Madrid Open by Coco Gauff earlier this month, footwork was the issue. Her defensive footwork and general movement, which is close to peerless and one of her greatest strengths, was absent. It seemed stiff and stilted throughout the afternoon in a way that it rarely does on clay. Usually, she glides across the court with a lethal combination of ease and speed, sliding into shots but never through them, then hustling back into position and jumping on the first chance to end the point. As James just pointed out, not so today either. GO FURTHER Coco Gauff cruises past Iga Swiatek to reach Madrid Open final for first time The hoary cliché says that the eyes are the window to the soul. For Iga Świątek, it's her feet. Elena Rybakina is serving consistently and creating a lot of power behind her second shot, but the most striking sight as she leads the four-time champion 6-1 is that Świątek's feet look stuck in the mud. Her elegant, fluid movement is so foundational to her game that when it's absent, it's very obvious and kind of a disaster. Getty Images Rybakina 6-1 Świątek And she does wrap up the set in double-quick time, 34 minutes and done. Not quite a bagel, but still pretty damning for Świątek. Rybakina led at 40-15, double faulted, then Świątek smashed a return home for deuce. Skidding low shot inches over the net, Świątek nets, then a booming ace. Rybakina *5-1 Świątek Elena Rybakina continues this game like she has all of them in this match so far, dismantling Świątek with a brutal display of relentless and accurate ball-striking. The crowd sing 'Let's go Iga, let's go' but Rybakina goes 15-40 up, two set points. Pulls it wide, 30-40... and then long, deuce! Can Świątek salvage a game? Big ace for advantage, no! The umpire sees it was wide. Another advantage, back to deuce, rinse and repeat and the game is now more than seven minutes long. Świątek swishes her racket in frustration after going long again. But she holds for 5-1. Rybakina still a double break up and serving for the set.
