Don’t count her out: How Iga Swiatek’s Rome defeat actually makes her a bigger threat in Paris

In the semi-finals of the Italian Open, Iga Swiatek was defeated by Elina Svitolina, 4-6, 6-2, 2-6.

The Pole’s impressive run in Rome ended just short of a final appearance, but her form throughout the tournament is still a promising sign ahead of Roland Garros.

With Swiatek currently ranked No. 1 in the world and defending two major titles at Roland Garros and Wimbledon, it feels as though she may be ready to take her place among the sport’s true greats.

She hasn’t lost before the quarter-finals all season and is an incredible 19-1 since falling to Ostapenko in Miami back in March. No one would have picked Svitolina to end Swiatek’s streak this week.

Svitolina does have some history against Swiatek – now holding a 3-1 record in head-to-head meetings – but it was still surprising to see her pull it off again.

Iga Swiatek outhit Elina Svitolina in their Italian Open semi-final

Swiatek came up short against Svitolina, but the performance was better than the result suggested. Coco Gauff’s former coach Brad Gilbert picked up on an interesting detail from the match and shared it on X.

“What a solid effort from double Lina [Elina Svitolina], taking out Iga [Swiatek],” said Gilbert. “Very interesting stat you don’t see very often, Iga won two more points in the match, especially with a 6-2 third set.”

Despite the loss, Swiatek remained competitive throughout her week in Italy. And she needed a strong showing after a slow start under Francisco Roig.

The hiring of Roig was seen as a move to help Swiatek regain her best form, especially given her past success at Roland Garros.

It took some time for things to come together, though. Early exits in Stuttgart and Madrid raised questions before she found her rhythm again in Rome.

Wins over Elisabetta Cocciaretto, Naomi Osaka, and Jessica Pegula – where she dropped just seven games combined – were reminders of why she was once considered clay’s dominant force.

If she can carry that level into Roland Garros, there’s every chance we could be talking about a fifth title soon enough…

Why this year’s French Open field is as wide open as it’s ever been

Swiatek put herself back in the mix with her play in Rome, but she’s far from a clear favourite to take the title in Paris.

And what makes this year so unusual is that there isn’t a clear favourite at all. Aryna Sabalenka, last year’s runner-up, hasn’t looked comfortable on clay yet this season.

The Belarusian lost to Hailey Baptiste in the Madrid Open quarter-finals before falling to Sorana Cirstea in the third round of the Italian Open.

Coco Gauff was another who struggled early on but has looked much better during her run to the final in Rome. Her path included several hard-fought three-set wins, and while she reminded fans why she won Roland Garros last year, it hasn’t been a dominant campaign by any stretch.

Kostyuk won titles in Rouen and Madrid and remains unbeaten on clay this season. However, questions remain about her ability to translate that form into Grand Slam success—she’s never gone beyond the fourth round at Roland Garros.

This season, there isn’t one player standing out above the rest as we’ve seen before. It feels truly open, with players like Elena Rybakina and Mirra Andreeva also capable of making deep runs. Don’t miss any of it—the action gets underway on Sunday, 24 May.

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