Iga Swiatek fortunate for dominant French Open run after rare loss vs Sabalenka
Iga Swiatek said she was happy and fortunate to have enjoyed a dream run at the French Open, even though world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka ended her 26-match winning streak on clay in the women's singles semi-final.Sabalenka overpowered Swiatek 7-6(1), 4-6, 6-0 on Court Philippe Chatrier to halt the Pole's title defense in a shock result on Thursday. The Belarusian's power proved too much for the defending champion, who was aiming to become the first female player in the Open era since 1968 to win four consecutive titles in Paris.advertisementSwiatek had won the previous three editions, along with her maiden crown in 2020. The defeat was a blow for the 24-year-old, who had hoped to claim her first title in what has been a patchy year — one marked by a brief doping ban in 2024.
"I love playing here, so for sure I'm happy I was fortunate enough to play so many great tournaments here. Even this one, I played better than weeks before," Swiatek told reporters."So I'm just happy that I have this place to come back to every year and just try to push myself."French Open 2025 semi-final Highlights"The pace was from her super fast," Swiatek said."Especially in the beginning of the match, she played as hard as possible and pretty risky. So it was just hard to get into any rally.advertisement"And then, I was able to do that so more things happened because it wasn't just like serve and one shot or return and one shot, and I could build a rally a little bit."But in the third set I feel like we came back to what happened in the first, and she used her chances, and I didn't really keep up what I was doing in the second set."Swiatek showed plenty of determination in her previous two rounds to see off 13th seed Elina Svitolina and 12th seed Elena Rybakina, and she said she was satisfied with the quality she showed during the tournament."Now it's probably not the best time to look at the wider perspective," Swiatek said. "So probably it wasn't a bad tournament, but obviously not the result I wanted.""Honestly, it feels incredible but I understand the job is not done yet. I'm just thrilled today with this win and the atmosphere," Sabalenka said."She's the toughest opponent, especially on clay, especially at Roland Garros. It was a tough match it was a tricky match but I managed."Trending Reel
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India.com
an hour ago
- India.com
Jannik Sinner sinks Novak Djokovic to set up final clash against Carlos Alcaraz at French Open
Winner Italy's Jannik Sinner cheers Serbia's Novak Djokovic at the end of their men's singles semi-final match. New Delhi: World No. 1 Jannik Sinner notched a 6-4, 7-5, 7-6(3) triumph against three-time champion Novak Djokovic in a heavyweight semifinal clash at the French Open on Friday, and will meet defending champion Carlos Alcaraz in the final. Djokovic, the men's record 24-time Grand Slam champion, was overwhelmed by Sinner's power and precision from the baseline and on serve on Court Philippe-Chatrier, reports Xinhua. Sinner became only the second Italian man to reach the final at Roland-Garros after Adriano Panatta, the 1976 champion. 'It was such a special occasion for me, playing against Novak in the semifinal of a Grand Slam,' said Sinner. 'It's just amazing, and I had to step up and play the best tennis I could. I'm very happy how I handled the situation, but this shows again what a role model he is for all of us and especially for us young players.' 'What he is doing is incredible and I wish him only the best for the rest of the season. I think we are all very lucky to see him playing such high-level tennis, it's amazing.' In the first set, Sinner performed more steadily, taking the opening set 6-4 with a break in the fifth game. Djokovic started stronger in the second, but it was Sinner who broke first for a 5-3 lead. Djokovic held serve in the ninth game and then broke Sinner's serve in the 10th game while serving for the set, leveling the score at 5-5. Sinner stayed composed and secured another break, eventually taking the second set 7-5. Both players delivered top-level tennis in the third set, which ultimately went into a tense tiebreak. Sinner proved to be more clutch in the decisive moments, winning the tiebreak 7-3. In his post-match press conference, 38-year-old Djokovic reflected on the uncertainty of his future following the loss. 'This could have been the last match ever I played here, so I don't know. That's why I was a bit more emotional even in the end,' said Djokovic. 'If this was the farewell match of the Roland Garros for me in my career, it was a wonderful one in terms of the atmosphere and what I got from the crowd.' 'Do I wish to play more? Yes, I do. But will I be able to play in 12 months' time here again? I don't know. That's all I can say for the moment,' he added. Earlier in the other semifinal, Alcaraz led 4-6, 7-6(3), 6-0, 2-0 against Lorenzo Musetti when the eighth-seeded Italian retired with a leg injury. Sinner, who has yet to lose a set in the tournament, is now looking to avenge his loss to Alcaraz in last year's semifinal, when he was defeated in five sets. Alcaraz has won his last four matches against Sinner, including 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,' said Sinner.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
‘Could be my last match here': Djokovic emotional after French Open exit to Jannik Sinner
Djokovic's top form cooled off as Sinner's quality shotmaking helped him seal a title clash with rival Carlos Alcaraz. Sinner defeated three-time French Open winner and 100-time tour-level titlist by 6-4, 7-5, 7-6(3). After his loss, he packed his bags and waved a cheering crowd goodbye before leaving the court. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Following his loss to world number one Jannik Sinner in the semifinals of the French Open , Serbian tennis icon Novak Djokovic said that the match could be his last ever played at the venue and he is uncertain if he will return for another title chase a year later. Djokovic 's top form cooled off as Sinner's quality shotmaking helped him seal a title clash with rival Carlos Alcaraz Sinner defeated three-time French Open winner and 100-time tour-level titlist 6-4, 7-5, 7-6(3). After his loss, he packed his bags and waved to a cheering crowd goodbye before leaving the match featured points earned all over the tennis court, Sinner's precision and power, and his great serve. This all overwhelmed the 24-time Grand Slam champion Djokovic and helped the 23-year-old set up a first-ever major final between players born in the stands one victory away from defending his crown at Paris after Italy's Lorenzo Musetti retired in the fourth set of their gripping semi-final clash on Friday. The 22-year-old Spaniard led Musetti 4-6, 7-6(3), 6-0, 2-0 when the Italian retired from the match after two hours and 25 after the post-match presser as quoted by ATP 's official website, Djokovic said, "This could have been the last match ever I played here, so I do not know. That is why I was a bit more emotional even in the end.""If this was the farewell match of the Roland Garros for me in my career, it was a wonderful one in terms of the atmosphere and what I got from the crowd.""Do I wish to play more? Yes, I do. But will I be able to play in 12 months' time here again? I don't know. That is all I can say for the moment," he about his match, during which he showed some moments of brilliance, Djokovic, a 24-time major champion, said that "he did give him (Sinner) a run for his money"."I tried to make him work till the last shot. I did what I could. This is sport. You have to just shake the hand of the better player and move on. I must say that I was proud of my effort tonight [and] in this tournament, considering I was not in great form coming into Roland Garros, but he was just too good for me tonight," he who trails Sinner by 4-5 in head-to-head record, praised his opponent, saying that he has been playing "tennis of his life"."Jannik is the kind of player who loves to play at a very fast pace the entire match. He is very physical. He is very fit, and he is striking the ball incredibly well. He seems to always be on good timing. Rarely he is off-balance, and he is just playing the tennis of his life," he the Alcaraz-Sinner title clash, Djokovic said that the sport needs their rivalry. The title clash will be taking place on Sunday."The way they are playing and the way they are approaching tennis life, I think they are going to have very successful careers. I am sure that we are going to see them lifting the big trophies quite often," he concluded.
The Hindu
an hour ago
- The Hindu
Novak Djokovic unsure if he will ever play again at French Open after semifinal loss
Novak Djokovic is unsure he will play at the French Open ever again after losing to top-ranked Jannik Sinner in the semifinals. The 24-time Grand Slam champion cast doubt on whether he will be back at Roland-Garros next year, when he will be 39. Moments after losing 6-4 7-5 7-6(3) on Friday, Djokovic took the time to put his bag down and applaud all sides of Court Philippe-Chatrier. "I mean, this could have been the last match ever I played here, so I don't know. That's why I was a bit more emotional even in the end," Djokovic said. "But if this was the farewell match of the Roland-Garros for me in my career, it was a wonderful one in terms of the atmosphere and what I got from the crowd." He kissed his hand after the defeat, then put it on the clay, as if saying farewell to the French Open, where he was champion three times. He pulled his bags up, looked high up into the stands, and headed down to the tunnel. "Do I wish to play more, yes I do. But will I be able to play here in 12 months' time, I don't know," Djokovic said. "I said it could have been my last match (here), I didn't say it was." Djokovic said he definitely intends to play at Wimbledon, which begins on June 30, and the US Open in August, but is not sure about his plans after that. "I don't know really what tomorrow brings in a way at this point in my career. You know, I am going to keep on keeping on," he said. "Wimbledon is next, which is my childhood favourite tournament. I'm going to do everything possible to get myself ready." He won an historic 100th singles title just before the French Open, but mainly continues to play to add to his record haul of Grand Slams. He is driven to win a 25th Grand Slam, to have sole custody of the most major titles in men's and women's tennis. But his last Grand Slam title was at the 2023 US Open. He failed to win a Grand Slam last year for the first time in seven years. "I guess my best chances maybe are Wimbledon, you know, to win another slam or faster hard court," he said. He won the French Open in 2016, 21 and '23. His last Wimbledon title was in 2022. "Wimbledon and US Open, yes, they are in plans. That's all I can say right now," he said. "But I feel like I want to play Wimbledon, I want to play US Open. Those two, for sure. For the rest, I'm not so sure." Sinner hopes Djokovic sticks around a while longer. "First of all, I hope it's not the case (he retires soon) because tennis needs him. It's so nice and amazing to have someone different than the younger guys," the 23-year-old Italian said. "From my point of view, it's great to see him in the locker room and to see his enthusiasm. He is a true role model for all of us."
