"Iga Swiatek has something special" - Justine Henin expects World No. 1 to add multiple French Open titles to her name if she stays healthy
Former World No. 1 Justine Henin shared how Iga Swiatek could secure more French Open titles in the future. Swiatek, who has reached her fourth French Open final, is set to face Jasmine Paolini in the summit clash.
Iga Swiatek is enjoying a fantastic clay court season so far. The Pole entered the French Open having won two consecutive WTA 1000 events in Madrid and Italy. She defeated Coco Gauff 6-2, 6-4, in the semifinals of the clay court Slam. Moreover, she has not lost a set since her intense second-round match against Naomi Osaka. The triumph over Gauff also marked her 20th consecutive win at Roland Garros.
Given Swiatek's overwhelming form on clay, Belgian tennis veteran and former World No. 1 Justine Henin lavished praise on the Pole. Henin highlighted the 23-year-old's ability to stay at the top, describing her as a "boss." She noted that Swiatek has the potential to continue her reign and win multiple French Open titles if she stays healthy.
"Iga is the boss. But we can see how hard it is to win and to win and to win. It’s tough to stay at the top of the game for such a long time. Iga, she has something special for this. I think she is really strong, and if she stays healthy, keeps the motivation, she can win a lot here," Henin said. (via WTA Tennis)
Swiatek has won four Majors in her career, three of them on clay, which explains her dominance on that surface. In addition, Swiatek will be striving for a third consecutive French Open title this season, which appears to be within reach as she is just one step away from doing so.
"I would never expect anybody to compare me to Rafa" - Iga Swiatek on her comparison with Rafael Nadal during the French Open
Iga Swiatek downplayed comparisons to Rafael Nadal after reaching her third straight French Open semifinal. Fans have likened her to the 14-time French Open champion due to her clay-court dominance over the years. However, Swiatek remarked that it would take her at least 14 more years to warrant such a comparison.
“We will see in 14 years if the journey is similar, I mean it's obviously very nice for me. I would never expect anybody to compare me to Rafa because for me he is above everybody and he is a total legend. We will see in a couple of years, but I am proud of myself that I am playing consistently here and that I'm mentioned in the same sentence as Rafa. That's cool,” Swiatek said at the press conference.
To complete her three-peat, Swiatek will need to overcome Italy's Jasmine Paolini in the final. Paolini cruised past Mirra Andreeva 6-3, 6-1 to reach the Roland Garros final. Swiatek is considered the favorite as she is 2-0 up in the head-to-head against the Italian.