Iga Swiatek achieves a record neither Chris Evert nor Steffi Graf managed at French Open, beats Jasmine Paolini in 2024 final for 3rd straight trophy
Iga Swiatek won her first Grand Slam of the 2024 season on Saturday (June 8), defeating Jasmine Paolini in the final of the French Open. With the win, the Pole has now won four titles at Roland Garros (five Slams overall) and four of the last five editions in Paris.
The first set began with Paolini taking an unexpected break of serve to draw first blood. After a haphazard service game from the World No. 1, Paolini went 2-1 up. However, Swiatek immediately broke back, winning the game 0*-40, to restore parity at 2-2.
After holding her next serve easily, the two-time defending champion broke serve once again to go 4-2 up and take the lead in the final for the first time. She consolidated on the break with a third break of serve, winning the set 6-2 by winning five games on the trot.
Swiatek made it eight games in a row, breaking Paolini's serve in her opening service game in the second set to take a 3-0 lead. Eight became 10 in no time, with the World No. 1 breaking serve again to extend the lead to 5-0. Paolini finally got on the scoreboard in the sixth game, avoiding a bagel on Court Philippe-Chartrier.
Serving for the title, Iga Swiatek continued as she had all day, making no errors and wrapping up the set 6-1 for her fourth Roland Garros title after just an hour and 10 minutes of play.
The last woman who won the French Open three times in a row was Justine Henin, who won the trophy in 2005, 2006 and 2007. The Belgian also won four out of five editions in Roland Garros, having won the 2003 title prior to that.
Interestingly, Chris Evert and Steffi Graf, the most prolific women's champions (with seven and six titles, respectively) at the French Open in the Open Era, never managed to achieve what Swiatek has done. Evert won two titles in a row thrice, winning in 1974 & 1975, 1979 & 1980 and 1985 & 1986. However, the 'three-peat' always eluded her. Graf, on the other hand, went back-to-back in 1987 & 1988 and 1995 & 1996, but missed the 'three-peat' on both occasions.
Iga Swiatek has 5 titles in 2024 already with French Open win
The title run at the 2024 French Open marks the fifth trophy Iga Swiatek has achieved this year already. In the lead-up to Roland Garros, the World No. 1 won the Madrid Open and the Italian Open back-to-back.
Before that, she won the title at the Qatar Open in Doha and the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells. Thanks to her win in Paris, Swiatek has extended her lead in the WTA rankings, and is almost 4,000 ranking points ahead of new World No. 2 Coco Gauff.