Iga Swiatek Thinks Men’s Tennis Has Become ‘Bit Predictable’ Due to Carlos Alcaraz-Jannik Sinner Dominance

Iga Swiatek is into the third round of the French Open. The Pole breezed past her first and second-round opponents, Emerson Jones and Sara Bejlek, to schedule her next match against countrywoman Magda Linette.

It was Linette who upset the six-time Grand Slam champion in the opening round of this French Open. Swiatek, even though she is a four-time champion in Paris, is not the only heavy favorite to emerge victorious.

The other contenders are last year’s runner-up, Aryna Sabalenka, and last year’s champion Coco Gauff. Two Ukrainian aces, Elina Svitolina and Marta Kostyuk, are also enjoying good form, given that they both won a Masters 1000 title on clay before arriving in the French capital.

The women’s draws in the Majors are more open compared to the men’s draws. Although Sabalenka has been making the finals in recent years, different players have emerged victorious, while the men’s tour is dominated by World No.1 Jannik Sinner and World No.2 Carlos Alcaraz, as they have clinched the last nine Majors.

Swiatek, at the press conference after her latest win, was asked whether women’s tennis is in a good state because several players are the favorites to win the French Open.

Ah, it’s good! Ah, okay, you like it! Well, I don’t know, because before when Ash [Barty] retired, people were like, ‘Oh, there’s no one player who’s winning.’ And they didn’t like it because they thought WTA was inconsistent. And now you like that there are many players who can win.

Linette, before setting up the match against Swiatek, defeated someone against whom the former World No.1 has never secured a win. It’s Jelena Ostapenko, who holds a 6-0 head-to-head lead over Swiatek.

And yeah, ATP, I mean, what can I say? I mean, Jannik is so good. And Carlos is injured now, but obviously, both of them have been winning most of the tournaments. I guess their fans are really happy. And I am because I love watching them play. But for sure it’s a bit predictable also. But you never know what’s gonna happen later on.

Iga Swiatek added

Alcaraz is watching the French Open- which he won in the previous two seasons- from the sidelines because he injured his wrist during the Barcelona Open. He will also be skipping Wimbledon. If last year’s runner-up Sinner wins, he will complete the Career Grand Slam.

Iga Swiatek on playing during extreme heat

Roland Garros also has a heat policy. The organizers monitors the temperature through the Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT). When it reaches 30.1 degrees Celsius, players can take a 10-minute break, and if it reaches 32.2 degrees Celsius, the play is halted on outdoor courts. So far, no match has been halted due to the heat in the clay-court Major.

Three-time French Open champion Novak Djokovic struggled amid the heatwave, dropping a set in his first two matches. Casper Ruud feared he had suffered heatstroke before his five-set win in the first round. Jakub Mensik collapsed on the court following his five-set win over Mariano Navone in the second round. Iga Swiatek, at the press conference after her second-round win, gave her reaction to playing in high temperatures.

At Wimbledon, at the beginning, it was quite hot. In fact, I feel like it helped me a lot because it practically burned the grass. Yes, in Wimbledon, I believe for about six days it was around 32 or even 34 degrees. Maybe also at the Olympics because it was two months later, but in general, the weather here is usually quite different.

Iga Swiatek said at the press conference

Swiatek has played just one semifinal this season. She has yet to win a title since the 2025 Korea Open, with her last clay-court title being the 2024 Roland Garros.

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