PARIS — Iga Swiatek produced a ruthless performance to crush 12th seed Jasmine Paolini and clinch a third straight French Open crown and fifth Grand Slam title of her career.
Swiatek of Poland also became the third woman to capture three consecutive French Open crowns after Henin (2005-07) and Seles (1990-92).
Swiatek’s 6-2 6-1 win, her 21st in a row at her happiest hunting ground, put her fourth on the list of longest streaks at Roland Garros in the Open era behind Chris Evert (29), Monica Seles (25) and Justine Henin (24).
The 23-year-old Pole extended her run of victories on clay to a career-best 19 matches to clinch her fourth French Open title in five years.
“It means a lot. This tournament has been pretty surreal with its beginning and the second round, and then I was able to get my game better every match,” Swiatek said according to Reuters, with the shining Suzanne Lenglen cup beside her.
“I’m really proud of myself because the expectations have been pretty high from the outside. Pressure, as well. I’m happy that I just went for it and I was ready to deal with all of this. And I could win.”
Swiatek, now 5-0 in major finals having claimed the US Open in 2022, is the first woman to lift the same Grand Slam title for three successive years since American Serena Williams from 2012-14 at Flushing Meadows.
But she said that the demands of being a perfectionist had weighed on her this year.
“It’s when the pressure from the outside hits me, and then it’s a little bit worse,” Swiatek said. “But I managed it well at this tournament.
“It was an emotional win, because I felt a lot of stress yesterday and today in the morning. I felt really proud of myself.”
Swiatek came out all guns blazing but after narrowly missing the opportunity to break from 0-40 down in the second game, the top seed Pole made heavy weather of the next to surrender her serve, before bouncing right back.
The diminutive Paolini, the third Italian woman after Francesca Schiavone and Sara Errani to reach the Roland Garros final since the sport turned professional in 1968, went toe to toe with Swiatek before cracking in the sixth game.
With the momentum shifting, Swiatek began to dominate the exchanges from the baseline, superbly working the angles and sealing the opening set in 37 minutes after winning 20 out of 24 points since going down a break.
A shell-shocked Paolini smiled and won odd points early in the next set, but her challenge faded in the afternoon sun as Swiatek broke twice to build a 4-0 lead.
Swiatek, who dropped only one set throughout the tournament in a second-round clash with Naomi Osaka, won 10 straight games before Paolini finally got on the board but there was to be no late comeback.
Swiatek closed out the win in 68 minutes when Paolini hit a shot long, dropping to her knees and pumping her fists while letting out a huge roar, before joining her entourage in the stands to celebrate.
“To play you here is the toughest challenge in this sport,” Paolini told Swiatek at the presentation ceremony.
The 28-year-old expanded on the difficulties of playing Swiatek.
“She’s taking the balls early… She can defend really well,” Paolini said. “She won four titles and she’s still 23. These numbers aren’t normal. They’re unbelievable.”
“Maybe I was going a little bit down with intensity,” the Italian said of that critical juncture, “and she was same level all the match. She keeps the intensity all the game, all the balls, and all the points. It’s not easy to stay there.”
Elsewhere, El Salvador’s Marcelo Arevalo and Croatian Mate Pavic beat Italian pair Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori 7-5 6-3 to win the French Open men’s doubles title.
It was the ninth seeds’ first Grand Slam crown as a pair. Arevalo, 33, won the French Open men’s doubles in 2022 with Dutchman Jean-Julien Rojer and the 30-year-old Pavic has now won the men’s doubles titles at all four Grand Slams.
“It feels special,” said Pavic, who has won seven Grand Slams, including three mixed doubles titles. “I want to thank Marcelo for bringing me to the top. He knows how it is to be done.”
