Former player makes bold prediction for 2025, doesn’t think Iga Swiatek will defend French Open

Dinara Safina has backed Karolina Muchova to win the 2025 Roland Garros instead of four-time French Open champion Iga Swiatek.

Former player makes bold prediction for 2025, doesn’t think Iga Swiatek will defend French Open

Iga Swiatek (Via Imago)

Former tennis player Dinara Safina thinks Iga Swiatek won’t win a Grand Slam title next season. Swiatek, who this year won her fourth French Open, won’t be able to defend her title, as per the Russian.

The World No. 2 lifted her first major at the 2020 French Open and maintained her dominance at the Roland Garros by clinching the title in 2022, 2023, and 2024. Safina also predicted that Novak Djokovic would go without a Grand Slam once again in a season.

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Djokovic failed to lift a Grand Slam trophy for the first time since 2017 and even though he hired Andy Murray as his coach in his quest for his 25th major at the Australian Open, Safina backed World No. 1 Jannik Sinner to defend his title.

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Australia – Sinner and (Aryna) Sabalenka. Roland Garros – (Alexander) Zverev and, let’s say, (Karolina) Muchova. I don’t think Swiatek will win a Slam on clay next year.

Dinara Safina told Championat

The Australian Open this season was Sinner’s first Grand Slam title and his next major was at the US Open. But Safina, a two-time Major finalist in singles, believes either Daniil Medvedev or Andrey Rublev would emerge as champion at Flushing Meadows.

Wimbledon – (Carlos) Alcaraz or Daniil Medvedev for men, (Elena) Rybakina for women. US Open – for men Medvedev or Rublev, women Sabalenka again.

Dinara Safina added

Medvedev is the 2021 US Open champion, the only Major title in his career so far. Rublev on the other hand is yet to go past the quarterfinals at the Grand Slams, having reached the stage 10 times.

Dinara Safina explains why Jannik Sinner played better tennis throughout the season

Dinara Safina thinks Jannik Sinner’s win over Daniil Medvedev boosted his confidence and as a result, he played consistently throughout the year and ended it as No. 1 for the first time. Safina also couldn’t find anything that the 23-year-old needed to add to his game.

Jannik Sinner (4)
Jannik Sinner (Image via X)

The most important factor is that he started the season with a victory in Australia. If he hadn’t won, he wouldn’t have got such a charge of confidence, because Daniil was very close to winning.

Dinara Safina told Championat

Sinner came back from two sets down to beat Medvedev to win the season’s first major title. The Australian Open was one of the eight titles he clinched in 2024. Apart from the two majors, Sinner also took home his first ATP Finals.