women's tennis

French Open 2025: Aryna Sabalenka ends Iga Swiatek’s winning streak, reaches first Roland Garros final | Tennis News

Danijones1 day ago05 mins

Winner Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus, right, and Poland’s Iga Swiatek hug after their semifinal match of the French Tennis Open (AP Photo) NEW DELHI: In a remarkable semifinal match at the French Open, Aryna Sabalenka, the world No. 1, halted Iga Swiatek’s 26-match winning streak at Roland Garros with a commanding 7-6 (1), 4-6, 6-0 victory on Thursday.This victory not only prevented Swiatek from achieving a historic fourth consecutive French Open title in the professional era but also positioned Sabalenka for her fourth major championship, potentially her first on clay courts.“It feels incredible, but I also understand that the job is not done yet,” said Sabalenka, the 27-year-old Belarusian who claimed the top WTA ranking from Swiatek last October. “She’s the toughest opponent, especially on the clay, especially at Roland Garros. I’m proud that I was able to get this win. It was a tough match. … but I managed it, somehow.” Poland’s Iga Swiatek celebrates as she won the quarterfinal match of the French Tennis Open against Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina at the Roland-Garros stadium in Paris, Tuesday, June 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena) Sabalenka’s next challenge awaits in Saturday’s final against either No. 2 Coco Gauff or French wild-card entry Loïs Boisson, ranked 361st. She playfully addressed the crowd: “I’m pretty sure you’re going to be cheering for one person like crazy, and I’m not sure if I really want her to win.”The match, played under Court Philippe-Chatrier’s closed roof due to rain, showcased exceptional tennis from both players. However, Sabalenka’s decisive third-set performance, marked by zero unforced errors compared to Swiatek’s twelve, proved decisive.For Swiatek, this defeat extends a challenging period since her last French Open victory 12 months ago. The 24-year-old Polish player, now ranked fifth, has struggled to reach finals, faced an unexpected Olympics semifinal exit, and experienced a one-month ban following a contaminated medicine incident. Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus celebrates as she won the semifinal match of the French Tennis Open against Poland’s Iga Swiatek at the Roland-Garros stadium in Paris, Thursday, June 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus) Sabalenka’s dominance in women’s tennis is evident, with her six title match appearances this year setting a benchmark not seen since Serena Williams in 2013. Her powerful game, traditionally suited to faster courts, proved equally effective on clay, as demonstrated by her commanding performance.The match dynamics shifted throughout, with Sabalenka initially leading 4-1 before Swiatek fought back to 5-4 in the first set. After winning the tiebreaker, Swiatek briefly regained momentum in the second set, but Sabalenka ultimately prevailed with an impressive display of power tennis.The atmosphere was notably pro-Swiatek, with the 15,000-strong crowd frequently chanting “I-ga!” Sabalenka responded to this partial support by actively encouraging crowd engagement after her successful points.

French Open: Coco Gauff beats Madison Keys in 3 sets to reach the semifinals | Tennis News

Danijones2 days ago04 mins

Coco Gauff of the U.S. celebrates (AP Photo/Christophe Ena) PARIS – Coco Gauff overcame 10 double-faults and the first set she’s dropped in the tournament to beat Madison Keys 6-7 (6), 6-4, 6-1 at the French Open on Wednesday, reaching the semifinals for the third time. It was a contest filled with plenty of mistakes by both Americans, who each has claimed one major championship. They combined for 101 unforced errors and just 40 winners across more than two hours under a closed roof at Court Philippe-Chatrier on a drizzly, chilly day. The No. 2-seeded Gauff won the 2023 U.S. Open and was the runner-up at the 2022 French Open. She’ll play Thursday for a berth in another Grand Slam final, facing either No. 6 Mirra Andreeva or 361st-ranked French wild-card entry Lois Boisson. “I have a lot more work left to do,” said Gauff, who raised her arms overhead then spread them wide apart after the last point against Keys, “but I’m going to savor this one today.” She started particularly poorly against Keys, trailing 4-1 and being a point from a 5-1 deficit. Gauff bowed her head or sighed after some miscues. Then, suddenly, she got going, using her speed and instincts to stretch points until Keys – the Australian Open champion in January – missed. IPL 2025 Final | Rishi Sunak Interview: ‘I am a big Virat Kohli fan… RCB is my team’ That helped Gauff get within a point of taking that set. But the 21-year-old based in Florida double-faulted three times in the tiebreaker, and soon was headed to the locker room to regroup. That set was sloppy. Gauff had seven winners to 21 unforced errors. Keys has 12 winners to 28 unforced errors, 19 of which arrived from her powerful forehand.Quiz: Who’s that IPL player? “I knew that I just had to be able to run today and as soon as the ball came short,” Gauff said, “just punish her for it.” Repeatedly, Gauff scrambled this way or that to get her racket on a shot from Keys that against plenty of other players would end the point. And often enough, it worked well, leading to a miss by Keys, who occasionally admonished herself with a slap on her right leg. “With her ability to cover the court,” Keys said, “you’re going to have to win the point multiple times before it’s actually over.”