Aryna Sabalenka broke Iga Swiatek’s dominance at Roland Garros on Thursday, powering through to her first French Open final after a thrilling three-set victory. She will now face American star Coco Gauff, who eased past French underdog Lois Boisson in straight sets.
Sabalenka halted Swiatek’s incredible 26-match unbeaten run at the tournament with a 7-6 (7/1), 4-6, 6-0 win, becoming the first to beat the Polish player in a decider on the Paris clay.
“Iga’s always a huge challenge, especially here in Paris where she’s so strong,” Sabalenka said after the match. “To get this win means a lot to me.”
The match started as a tug-of-war, with eight service breaks in the opening set before Sabalenka edged ahead in the tiebreak. Swiatek fought back in the second, but the final set saw her unravel completely — managing just six points and hitting a dozen unforced errors.
“My serve finally clicked, and that made everything smoother,” Sabalenka noted. “A 6-0 final set? Honestly, it couldn’t have gone any better.”
Already a three-time Grand Slam champion on hard courts, Sabalenka is now one win away from her first major title on clay.
Swiatek, meanwhile, was looking to become the first woman in over a century to claim four French Opens in a row. Though she showed glimpses of her championship form throughout the tournament, the third set collapse marked just her third loss ever at Roland Garros.
“I’ve always loved playing on these courts, and I’m grateful for all the great moments I’ve had here,” said Swiatek.
In their career head-to-head, Swiatek still leads 8–5, but Sabalenka has now won the last two encounters between the top-ranked rivals. This was their first clash at a Grand Slam since the 2022 US Open.
Later in the day, Gauff silenced a patriotic Paris crowd with a dominant 6-1, 6-2 win over 22-year-old French wildcard Lois Boisson. The American star took just 69 minutes to secure her place in her second French Open final.
“When I heard the crowd chanting for her, I was kind of replacing her name with mine in my head,” Gauff joked to fans in her post-match interview. “There’s still one more match to go, but I’m going to take a moment and enjoy this before getting ready.”
Boisson had stunned top contenders Jessica Pegula and Mirra Andreeva to reach the final four, but couldn’t find the same spark against the steady and aggressive Gauff. Despite a brief rally in the second set, Boisson was undone by 33 unforced errors.
“I’m disappointed, of course. I wanted to keep going,” she admitted. “But I’ll take some time to reflect on this run.”
Boisson will still break into the world’s top 70 and collect over €690,000 in prize money — a huge leap from her previous career earnings.
The final between Sabalenka and Gauff, now tied 5–5 in career meetings, is set to be a blockbuster. Gauff lost to Sabalenka in the 2023 US Open final — and will be eager to flip the script on Paris clay
