“I’m gonna get you there,” Aryna Sabalenka challenges Iga Swiatek for a rematch at Roland Garros as she loses to her in Rome

Swiatek becomes the first player to win Madrid Open and Rome since Rafael Nadal and Serena Williams in 2013.

“I’m gonna get you there,” Aryna Sabalenka challenges Iga Swiatek for a rematch at Roland Garros as she loses to her in Rome

Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek (Via Imago)

Aryna Sabalenka was hoping for revenge against Iga Swiatek at the Italian Open final on Saturday. However, after falling to a disappointing loss to the Polish star to lose two consecutive titles, she is relishing for another encounter at the Roland Garros.

Fans were expecting another three-hour thriller after Swiatek and Sabalenka had played a fantastic final of the Madrid Open. This time around, Swiatek needed just one hour and 29 minutes to triumph 6-2, 6-3. It was the 11th meeting between the Top 2, with the Polish star extending her 8:3 in head-to-head.

After a poor first set, Sabalenka came out firing hard against Swiatek, winning the first two games for the first time in the entire match. But a calm Swiatek used her superb foot speed and accurate groundstrokes to turn the dynamics around and force Sabalenka into errors. The Belarusian looked disappointed down 5-3 in the second set but made it difficult for Swiatek to claim the winner.

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Speaking after the defeat, the 26-year-old admitted she would not forget the loss, as she would be hoping to meet her again in the Roland Garros final.

This time I’m not gonna forget, I’m gonna start with Iga. Congrats on an incredible couple weeks here in Rome. I hope we’re gonna make it to the final of Roland Garros and I’m gonna get you there. Just kidding. At least I’ll try to do better than today.
Aryna Sabalenka said in the post-match ceremony

Since Sabalenka defeated Swiatek to win the 2023 Madrid Open, the 22-year-old has won nine consecutive finals. She has yet to lose a final for over a year despite playing better on clay surfaces.

Iga Swiatek makes several records after winning the Rome title for the third time

Iga Swiatek claimed her fourth title of the season after beating Aryna Sabalenka in Rome. The 22-year-old has now made history by becoming the first player to win the Madrid Open and Rome since Serena Williams and Rafael Nadal in 2013. The Italian Open is also the third tournament she has won at least three times, doing the same in Roland Garros and Doha.

Iga Swiatek
Iga Swiatek (Via Imago)

Also, Swiatek now has a 20-2 record in Rome since 2021 when she claimed the title first. She is approaching American legend Chris Evert‘s five Italian Open titles record.

In addition, the Polish star is now the second player since the Open Era to win the Italian Open three or more times before turning 23. The player above is Gabriela Sabatini, who claimed four Rome titles during her career.

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