Aryna Sabalenka powers her way to first French Open final

World no. 1 ends Iga Swiatek's three-year reign, to meet Gauff in title match

Belarus’ Aryna Sabalenka is into her first French Open final after outlasting three-time defending champion Iga Swiatek of Poland in the semis at Roland Garros on Thursday. / AFP file photo

PARIS – In a gripping semifinal clash at Roland Garros on Thursday, World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka halted Iga Swiatek’s 26-match winning streak at the French Open, defeating the defending champion 7-6 (1), 4-6, 6-0 to reach the finals for the first time in her career.

The match marked the 13th meeting between the two top stars.

Sabalenka, a three-time Grand Slam champion, had never reached the title match on the Parisian clay, while Swiatek was aiming for a fourth consecutive Roland Garros crown and fifth overall.

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The opening set was a see-saw battle, featuring a flurry of breaks as both players struggled to hold serve. Sabalenka surged to a 4-1 lead, breaking Swiatek twice. But the Polish star, known for her mental resilience, clawed her way back to level at 4-4 and even edged ahead, 5-4. Sabalenka responded with a hold and a break to lead 6-5, only to see Swiatek save the set with composed play to force a tiebreak. In the decisive moments, Sabalenka clinched the breaker 7-1.

Swiatek struck back in the second set, showing greater confidence and rhythm. She broke Sabalenka early and, despite being broken back, regained control with a stretch of clean service games and powerful baseline play. Leading 5-4, she converted her first set point to level the match.

Statistically, she outperformed Sabalenka in all major serving categories during the second set.

But the momentum shifted dramatically in the third set. Sabalenka came out firing, dominating with deep, penetrating groundstrokes and sweeping the decider 6-0.

The match marked Sabalenka’s seventh semifinal appearance this season and her 11th in a major – the most since Maria Sharapova at Roland Garros in 2011. It also signals a shift in the clay-court power dynamic. Once seen as a hard-court force, Sabalenka has developed a more nuanced game, incorporating drop shots and slices that paid dividends.

In the finals, Sabalenka will face American second seed Coco Gauff who defeated rising French star Lois Boisson. (Xinhua)