French Open 2025
Dates: 25 May – 8 June Venue: Roland Garros
Coverage: Live radio commentaries available on 5 Live Sport and BBC Sounds, alongside live text updates on the BBC Sport website and app.
World number one Aryna Sabalenka advances closer to her first French Open title by defeating four-time champion Iga Swiatek in a thrilling semi-final.
Sabalenka will face second seed Coco Gauff in the final after the American decisively ended French wildcard Lois Boisson’s impressive journey.
Sabalenka triumphed with a score of 7-6 (7-1), 4-6, 6-0, bringing an end to Swiatek’s 26-match winning streak at the tournament. After a slow start on the clay courts, Swiatek fought back to claim the second set, but Sabalenka dominated the decisive set in just 22 minutes.
Having captured all three of her Grand Slam titles on hard courts, Sabalenka is yet to reach the final in Paris. “It feels incredible, but the job isn’t finished yet. I’m thrilled with my performance,” remarked the 27-year-old. “Iga is a tough opponent, especially at Roland Garros, and I take pride in this victory.”
Sabalenka’s Dominance Highlights Swiatek’s Struggles
The highly anticipated match featured the ‘Queen of Clay’ going head-to-head with the world number one at a crucial stage. With six of the last ten majors between them, Swiatek and Sabalenka have significantly influenced the WTA Tour recently, although Swiatek’s recent struggles have seen her drop to fifth in the rankings, making Sabalenka the favorite at Roland Garros.
Both players appeared affected by the match’s tension, resulting in a nervy first set. Sabalenka adapted better to the wet conditions under the closed roof and quickly gained a double break lead. Swiatek adjusted her position to counter Sabalenka’s powerful returns and staged a comeback to level the score.
Despite Swiatek taking a brief lead, momentum swung back to Sabalenka, who took the first set in a dominating tiebreak. The second set saw both players break serve several times before Sabalenka ultimately secured her place in the final, citing a loss of intensity as a factor in Swiatek’s performance.
Boisson’s Remarkable Journey Concludes
This marks the first time since 2011 that a home player made it to the women’s semi-finals, and few anticipated that player would be Boisson. Her journey from a relative unknown returning from a serious injury to a Grand Slam semi-final appearance is truly remarkable.
Initially set to compete as a wildcard last year, she had to withdraw due to an anterior cruciate ligament injury. Fast forward a year, and she stunned fans by defeating third seed Jessica Pegula and sixth seed Mirra Andreeva to reach her first career semi-final, although she eventually succumbed to Gauff’s dominance in a match that ended in just over an hour.
