World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka is gearing up for a high-stakes semi-final clash with long-time rival Iga Swiatek at Roland Garros, calling their upcoming battle “another great fight” between two of the WTA’s top forces.
On June 3, Sabalenka overcame Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen 7-6 (7-3), 6-3 in the French Open quarter-finals. The victory sets up a blockbuster semi-final on June 5 against Swiatek, the three-time defending champion and fifth seed, who earlier defeated Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina 6-1, 7-5.
Sabalenka and Swiatek are no strangers to each other, having played 12 times. Swiatek leads their head-to-head 8-4, including a dominant 5-1 record on clay. She recently beat Sabalenka in back-to-back finals in Madrid and Rome this year. Sabalenka’s lone win on clay came in the 2023 Madrid final, while her most recent win overall came on hard court in Cincinnati last October.
The 27-year-old Belarusian is embracing their evolving rivalry.
“Before, there wasn’t much communication or practice between us,” Sabalenka said. “But now we’re getting along better, we practice more often, and we’ve had some great battles. I’m really looking forward to another one if it’s Iga. I’m ready to fight for the win.”
Swiatek, 24, echoed the mutual respect, noting that the two recently trained together after the Rome tournament.
“It’s always good to practice with Aryna,” said the Polish star. “She gives great rhythm, and the quality is always high. We know each other’s games very well now, so there won’t be any big surprises.”
Sabalenka had to work for her spot in the final four, rallying from a slow start against Zheng, who had beaten her in Rome and entered the match on a 10-match winning streak, including Olympic gold in Paris. Zheng admitted nerves got the better of her.
“I was really tight,” Zheng said. “I made too many easy mistakes and couldn’t play my best.”
With the win, Sabalenka reaches her second French Open semi-final and her 11th Grand Slam semi overall. A three-time Major champion — with two Australian Open titles and the reigning US Open crown — she is now eyeing her sixth Grand Slam final.
With both players in top form and familiar with each other’s strengths, fans can expect a thrilling encounter between the world’s top two players as they battle for a place in the 2024 French Open final.
