Four-time champion Iga Swiatek launches French Open bid with record in sight

PARIS – Defending champion Iga Swiatek said she was inspired by an emotional tribute to the “King of Clay” Rafael Nadal as she launched her quest for a fifth French Open title with a 6-3, 6-3 win over Slovakia’s Rebecca Sramkova on May 26.

The Pole, a four-time champion who is on a 22-match winning run in Paris, is looking to become the first female player to win four straight Roland Garros crowns in the Open era.

She arrived more than 10 days before the tournament to get sufficient training on the clay courts and it has so far paid off.

“It was the first time we had this situation (of arriving early),” Swiatek said in a post-match interview. “But I liked it.

“I knew I am going to have the best courts to practise on. It was not an easy match. She played with a lot of freedom. So I knew I need to stay proactive and try to create and use my weapons.”

The 23-year-old may have dropped to world No. 5 but her record on clay means if anyone is to inherit the mantle of the retired Nadal, it is likely to be the four-time French Open champion.

On May 25, Roland Garros held an emotional tribute to the 14-time winner Nadal on the opening day of the tournament, six months after he hung up his racket.

Swiatek was seen tearing up during the proceedings.

She said: “I tried to keep it together. I knew the cameras were on Carlos (Alcaraz) behind me, so I needed to be brave, but seeing Rafa crying makes me more emotional.

“It’s nice he shows emotions that way, it’s nice he shows he’s human...

“It’s great the tennis world could show their appreciation and tell Rafa we are really thankful for everything he did. He is a huge inspiration. Even when he’s not playing, even him being here yesterday inspired me a lot.”

On May 26, Swiatek, unusually without a title on the WTA Tour this season, needed some time to find her footing, with the Slovak initially offering greater resistance than in her 6-0, 6-2 loss the last time the pair met at the Australian Open in January.

Sramkova held serve until Swiatek broke her to go 4-3 up and bag the first set.

The 28-year-old world No. 42 broke Swiatek at the start of the second set to open up a 2-0 lead but her opponent quickly reined her in with two breaks of her own, winning six of the next seven games to wrap up her win after an hour and 24 minutes.

She next faces Britain’s former US Open champion Emma Raducanu, whom Swiatek has a 4-0 head-to-head record against.

Raducanu made a winning return to Roland Garros as she beat Wang Xinyu in three sets. The 22-year-old Briton overcame her Chinese opponent 7-5, 4-6, 6-3 in her first appearance at the French Open since 2022.

Said Raducanu: “I’m very happy to give myself another chance. I felt the noise around the match (against Swiatek) before we’d played the first round.

“I’m looking forward to going out there. There’s not much pressure on me going out there. I think my game is in a great place, so it’s a great challenge.”

Naomi Osaka of Japan suffered an early elimination after losing 6-7 (1-7), 6-1, 6-4 to 10th-seeded Spaniard Paula Badosa.

Former Wimbledon winner Elena Rybakina battled past Argentinian qualifier Julia Riera 6-1, 4-6, 6-4, two days after lifting her first WTA title since April 2024 in Strasbourg. The Kazakh will next face American Iva Jovic.

The first top-10 seed to exit was No. 9 Emma Navarro of the United States, who was humbled 6-0, 6-1 by Jessica Bouzas Maneiro of Spain. She will next face another American in Robin Montgomery.

But Daniel Altmaier, ranked No. 66, sprung the first major upset when he downed fourth seed Taylor Fritz 7-5, 3-6, 6-3, 6-1.

But there was no such surprise for defending champion Carlos Alcaraz. His usual mix of poise, pace and power saw off Italian qualifier Giulio Zeppieri 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 to book a second-round date with Hungary’s Fabian Marozsan.

Norwegian seventh seed Casper Ruud, a two-time French Open runner-up, got his bid for a first Grand Slam title under way with a 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 win over veteran Spanish qualifier Albert Ramos-Vinolas.

He will next face Portuguese Nuno Borges. REUTERS, AFP