Late Italian bloomer stands in relentless world No 1’s way of incessant record pursuit on her favoured surface
It has been nearly two months since Iga Swiatek lastreturned home to her new apartment in Poland. Since, she has barely had a moment to breathe. After leading Poland to victory away in Biel, Switzerland at the Billie Jean King Cup in mid-April, Swiatek followed up her semi-final run in Stuttgart by becoming the first player to win the Madrid and Italian Opens since they were extended to back-to-back two-week affairs last year, a feat requiring laser focus across four weeks.
Then came Roland Garros, the big one. Over the past two weeks, Swiatek has marched past opponents without hesitation, establishing a 19-match winning streak as she returns to the final. She has shown her superiority over the rest of the field, particularly on clay, dismantling so many of the best players in the world and even improving her record against the now world No 2, Coco Gauff, to 11 wins and one defeat, easily brushing her aside in Thursday’s semi-final.