Former World No.1 Backs Iga Swiatek to Win Her Fifth Roland Garros this Season

Iga Swiatek‘s fine run at the Rome Open has triggered strong reactions from within tennis fans and former players. Former World No.1 and Grand Slam winner Kim Clijsters has framed Swiatek’s on-court improvement perfectly ahead of Roland Garros, while supporting her to win the clay-court Grand Slam again.

Swiatek was on a run of poor form before the Italian Open. The World No.3 had not reached a semi-final this season and had failed to beat a top 10 opponent on the court. She decided to part ways with her former coach, Wim Fisette, after over a year of working together, and hired Rafael Nadal’s former coach, Francisco Roig.

In Swiatek’s first tournament with Roig in her coaching box, there was not much difference from her previous run of matches. She crashed out of the quarter-finals of the Stuttgart Open and then retired in the third round of the Madrid Open. However, in Rome, Swiatek compiled a strong run to the semi-finals.

She registered consecutive victories and reasserted control in baseline exchanges and key moments in matches. She notably defeated Naomi Osaka and Jessica Pegula in straight sets before losing to eventual champion Elina Svitolina in three sets, ending her bid for a fourth Rome Open title.

Nonetheless, the broader analysis of her performance revealed that she gained a bit of stability in her game since her partnership with Roig, something that has been lacking since the start of the season. Also, she appears confident in herself on the court. Speaking on the Love All podcast, Clijsters pointed out that she was happy with the kind of energy Swiatek showed at the Italian Open in Rome:

Now to see her with a different kind of energy out there, and she’s still showing the fist pumps, but there’s more of a natural flow to it. Whereas before it almost looked like she had to do it to try to pump herself up, but it wasn’t a natural way. She also has an intense coach but at the same time super laid back. Sometimes you need somebody to keep repeating that so you still believe it after all the wins that she’s had. But it’s really nice to see her happy.

Swiatek last won the Roland Garros in 2024 after beating Jasmine Paolini in the final. Last year, she reached the semi-finals before losing to Aryna Sabalenka in three sets. She dominated the French Open from 2020 to 2024, losing the title just once.

Andy Roddick claims Iga Swiatek can shut up her critics at the Roland Garros

Iga Swiatek dominated the clay court season in 2024. That year, she won three clay titles, including the Madrid Open and the French Open. After that run, she was dubbed the clay queen. But last year, she failed to defend any of those titles and even exited early at the Italian Open. This season, things have gotten a little better for the Polish star.

Her performance at the Italian Open improved her chances of claiming Roland Garros, as her rivals, Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina, have not been in their best form leading up to the Grand Slam tournament. Former US Open champion Andy Roddick revealed on the Served podcast that Swiatek can win the Roland Garros:

Just tread carefully if you’re giving up on her. I think this run to the semis and getting those matches in… as important to her as maybe any player in the field. I don’t think Sabalenka, or Rybakina, or Pegula had to make semis to feel real good about the way that they’re playing. Andreeva included in that list. I think that was really important for Iga. She’s in this thing.

Besides Swiatek, Marta Kostyuk, Mirra Andreeva, and Coco Gauff are among the favorites to win the French Open. Gauff is the defending champion and finished as the Italian Open runner-up last week after losing to Elina Svitolina.

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