Sabalenka Dominates Swiatek, Through To First Roland-Garros Final

Aryna Sabalenka
Aryna Sabalenka (photo: Roland-Garros video/YouTube)

PARIS/WASHINGTON, June 5, 2025 (by Michael Dickens)

With a semifinal that featured the World No. 1, Aryna Sabalenka, against the three-time defending Roland-Garros champion, Iga Swiatek, the BIG match of this Parisian fortnight finally took court on a windy and rainy Thursday afternoon in Paris.

By the end of the two-hour, 19-minute showdown, Sabalenka had dethroned Swiatek, a winner of four Roland-Garros crowns overall. The top-seeded Sabalenka triumphed, 7-6 (1), 4-6, 6-0, to advance to her first French Open final on Saturday, and it assured there would be a first-time Roland-Garros champion crowned.

The victory was Sabalenka’s WTA Tour-leading 40th victory of the season, and she’s now won five consecutive major semifinal matches.

“I’m thrilled. It was an incredible match,” Sabalenka said, describing her emotions for TNT Sports in an on-court interview with Mary Jo Fernandez. “It was a tricky one at the beginning, but I’m super glad I found my serve. In the third set, I was like ‘Oh my god!’ To beat Iga 6-0 on the clay, it’s like out of my mind.”

Next, Sabalenka will face World No. 2 Coco Gauff of the United States for the Coupe Suzanne-Lenglen that is awarded to the women’s champion. The American No. 1 ended the Cinderella run of French wild card Lois Boisson, 6-1, 6-2, in just 69 minutes in the second semifinal match. Boisson was playing in just her first major and second WTA Tour event, while Gauff is through to her third Grand Slam final – her second one at Roland-Garros – in search of her second major title after winning the US Open in 2023.

In an opening set of the Sabalenka-Swiatek match filled full of explosive, powerful tennis, the Belarusian jumped out to a double break 3-0 lead before No. 5 seed Swiatek began to settle in to the on-court atmosphere created by the closed roof over Court Philippe-Chatrier. From 1-4 down, the Polish star came back to win four games in a row – erasing both breaks in the process – and took a 5-4 lead as she began to put her first serves into play.

However, the lead changed hands after Sabalenka held, then converted her fourth break point of the set to take a 6-5 lead after winning a string of eight of nine points. But she squandered the lead after making four costly errors and was broken for the fourth time in the set by Swiatek to force a first-set tie-break.

Next, Sabalenka dominated the tie-break 7-1 to win the opening set. Behind her powerful serving and aggressive returns, which accounted for 16 winners, she proved too much for Swiatek, who committed 22 unforced errors during the one-hour, 11-minute set.

Soon, Sabalenka found herself one set away from her first Roland-Garros final, while Swiatek faced an uphill battle and needing to capture consecutive sets from an opponent who hadn’t lost a set through her first five victories. Following a trio of service breaks to start the second set, Swiatek consolidated the break for a 3-1 lead with a nifty drop shot winner, and found solutions throughout the rest of the 42-minute set to win it 6-4 and to force a decider in the first semifinal. After trading early service breaks, Swiatek at last found her rhythm by combining powerful serving with tactical returns.

In decider, Sabalenka jumped ahead 2-0 with a hold and a break of Swiatek, after her powerful cross-court forehand sealed the break. Then, she consolidated the break with a blistering backhand winner to give her a 3-0 advantage. Next, Sabalenka gained a double-break 4-0 lead by taking advantage of four unforced errors by Swiatek. Another consolidation by Sabalenka with a clinical love hold increased her lead to 5-0 with a trip to the title match coming into focus.

Finally, Sabalenka completed the 22-minute bagel set for the victory by showing her complete dominance with a series of aggressive returns. She finished the semifinal match with 29 winners to 25 unforced errors, compared to 29 winners and 42 unforced errors for Swiatek. Sabalenka converted eight of 10 break-point opportunities and saved five of 11 break points. She outpointed Swiatek 97-73, winning 81 points on rallies that were between 1-4 shots.

It was just Swiatek’s third career loss at Roland-Garros – she’s now 40-3 lifetime – and it ended her 26-match winning streak at the French Open. This was the first year since 2020 that Swiatek had arrived in Paris without having won a title on clay. Meanwhile, Sabalenka is through to her sixth major final overall and her seventh final of this season, looking to win her fourth crown of 2025. She’s only the second woman after Elena Rybakina to beat Swiatek twice on clay.

Sabalenka has now reached the final in five of the last six majors played. The three-time major champion and two-time runner-up is through to her first Grand Slam final on clay.

“I’m super happy right now, but the job is not done yet,” Sabalenka said. “I’ll make sure I bring my best tennis and very best spirts on Saturday.”

Gauff ends Boisson’s Cinderella run

No. 2 seed Coco Gauff proved too solid and athletic for 361st-ranked French wild card Lois Boisson. In the second semifinal Thursday, with the roof closed on Court Philippe-Chatrier, Gauff prevailed 6-1, 6-2, in only one hour and nine minutes. It was a lopsided result but it reflected the 21-year-old Gauff’s big-match experience versus the inexperience of Boisson, 22, who a year ago was recovering from an ACL injury and was competing in just the eighth WTA Tour-level match of her career.

Gauff dominated from the start and won the 37-minute opener 6-1, after jumping out to a double-break 4-0 lead. She broke Boisson three times overall and saved all three break points she faced while outpointing her 30-18.

Then, Gauff wore down Boisson and kept her focus throughout the duration of the 32-minute second set to put away the victory and advance to her second Roland-Garros final. While the clock had finally struck midnight on Boisson, the Cinderella story of this French Open, it proved a fabulous run in her first Grand Slam event – winning five straight matches, including back-to-back Top-10 victories over No. 3 seed Jessica Pegula and No. 6 seed Mirra Andreeva – and it was just her second WTA Tour event overall.

Looking back, Gauff dominated the match statistically. She won 62 percent (16 of 26) of her first-serve points and 70 percent (14 of 20) of her second-serve points, hit 12 winners, made only 15 unforced errors and converted six of seven break points. She outpointed Boisson, 57-33. The Dijon, France native ended the semifinal by garnering just 17 points on her serve, while hitting just eight winners to 33 unforced errors. She converted just one of five break points.

“I thought today I played super well,” Gauff said during an after-the-match interview with TNT Sports‘ Sloane Stephens. “I tried to be patient but also aggressive. I think that was the key for today’s match.”

Looking ahead to facing World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, Gauff, who is 5-5 head-to-head – including 1-1 in majors and 1-0 in a major final – said: “She’s obviously going to hit some great shots and be really aggressive. I’m just going to try my best to play my game and be as aggressive as I can.”

Errani and Vavassori win second major mixed doubles title

After winning a career Grand Slam in women’s doubles and five majors overall with Roberta Vinci, plus an Olympic gold medal with Jasmine Paolini, Italy’s Sara Errani is half way toward a career Grand Slam in mixed doubles with Italian teammate Andrea Vavassori. Paris is where Errani has enjoyed some of her finest hours as a professional.

Thursday afternoon on Court Philippe-Chatrier, the same court where Errani and Paolini won Olympic gold last year, she and Vavassori defeated Americans Taylor Townsend and Evan King, 6-4, 6-2, in one hour and 11 minutes. They became the first Italian pair to win the mixed doubles title at Paris in 67 years.

The No. 3 seeds Errani (38) and Vavassori (30), who won the mixed doubles title at the US Open last year, advanced to the title match after defeating No. 2 seeds Zhang Shuai of China and Marcelo Arevalo of El Salvador, 6-2, 6-3, on Wednesday. The No. 4 seeds Townsend and King, who are both from the south side of Chicago, moved into the final after defeating Desirae Krawcyzk of the United States and Neal Skupski of Great Britain, 3-6, 7-6 (2), 12-10.

In the final, Errani and Vavassori won 68 percent (26 of 38) of their first-serve points, hit 16 winners, made nine unforced errors converted three of 11 break points and saved all four break points they faced. They outscored Townsend and King 58-46. The Americans countered with 21 winners but made 25 unforced errors.

During the Parisian fortnight, Errani and Vavassori did not lose a set.

“Congrats to Evan and Taylor, it was some battle today against you. We had to study a lot,” Errani said during the trophy presentation. “Thanks of course to Andrea, my best friend. It is so much fun to play with you. You are an amazing person, and it is special to be here with you. You had an incredible tournament.”

Added Vavassori: “Thanks to Sara. It is unbelievable to be in another Grand Slam final together. We had an amazing run at the US Open. It was a dream come true. We love to play together. We are best friends, so it is amazing.”

Errani and Vavassori made their team debut at Wimbledon last year and lost in the first round. Then, they reached the quarterfinals at the Paris Olympics and later, won the US Open. This year, the Italians went 3-0 during the United Cup, lost in the second round at the Australian Open, and won a mixed doubles invitational at Indian Wells.

Now, Errani will turn her focus to women’s doubles, where she and Paolini are through to Roland-Garros semifinals. Seeded No. 2, they will face Mirra Andreeva and Diana Shnaider of Russia on Friday.

Around Stade Roland-Garros

The first men’s semifinal doubles match was won by No. 5 seeds Marcel Granollers of Spain and Horacio Zeballos of Argentina, who defeated No. 16 seeds Hugo Nys of Monaco and Edouard Roger-Vasselin of France, 6-7 (5), 6-3, 6-4, in two hours and 27 minutes on Court Suzanne-Lenglen to advance to their fourth Grand Slam final. The Spanish/Argentine duo, who improved to 16-5 this season, combined to hit 42 winners, saved the only break point they faced, converted two of eight break points, and outpointed their opponents 105-81.

Granollers (39) and Zeballos (40), who have dropped just one set through their first five matches, will await the winner of Friday’s other semifinal, between No. 8 seed Joe Salisbury and Neal Skupski of Great Britain against No. 9 seeds Christian Harrison and Evan King of the United States. Harrison and King, who have not lost any sets through the first four rounds, have beaten the British duo in both of their previous meetings.

Thursday’s Roland-Garros results

Friday’s Roland-Garros order of play

By the numbers

Aryna Sabalenka has garnered eight WTA Top-10 wins this season. In the past decade, only Carla Suarez Navarro (9, in 2015) and Iga Swiatek (8, in 2024) have claimed more WTA Top-10 wins before the end of Roland-Garros.

Sabalenka is also the first woman to reach the singles final in three straight Grand Slam events (2024 US Open, 2025 Australian Open and 2025 French Open) since Serena Williams, who in 2016 advanced to the finals of the Australian Open, French Open and Wimbledon Championships.

“Quotable …”

“It’s amazing, no? I think [it’s] exactly what France needs, something very new, very special, great mentality. I think she’s someone who is quite calm on the court, at least she seems like it.”

– World No. 1 Jannik Sinner of Italy, after sharing a practice hit with France’s Lois Boisson on Wednesday before their respective quarterfinals, as quoted by the WTA website.

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