Elena Rybakina has praised Iga Swiatek’s relentless intensity on court ahead of their highly anticipated fourth-round clash at Roland Garros.
Rybakina, the 12th seed, will take on fifth-seeded Swiatek, the reigning French Open champion, in one of the standout matches of the women’s draw this Sunday. This will be their second meeting in the fourth round of a Grand Slam, with Rybakina previously defeating Swiatek at this stage during the 2023 Australian Open before advancing to the final.
Their head-to-head record stands evenly at 4-4, with Rybakina having had notable success against the world No. 5 on clay—a surface typically dominated by Swiatek. The Kazakh has claimed two victories over Swiatek on clay: one by retirement at the 2023 Italian Open, and another earlier this year on the indoor clay courts in Stuttgart. However, both wins came under conditions quite different from those in Paris.
Swiatek heads into this encounter riding a 24-match winning streak at the French Open and boasts a 38-2 record at the tournament, having secured the title in four of the past five years.
Speaking ahead of the match, Rybakina acknowledged the difficulty of the task but expressed confidence in her preparation.
“She’s extremely comfortable on this court, of course. But every day and every match is different,” Rybakina said. “I’ll be focusing on my own game. We’ve played so many times, I know what to do. I’ll give it my best and we’ll see how it goes.”
“She’s tough to play against on clay—her ball has a lot of spin and she brings unbelievable intensity. It’s never easy.”
She added that her previous clay-court wins over Swiatek came under very different conditions, noting, “Stuttgart is an indoor tournament with different clay, and Rome had its own conditions too. So I’m not taking those results as identical.”
“She’s a strong opponent, moves exceptionally well, and it’s going to be a real challenge.”
Both players have faced adversity in recent months. Swiatek, though still viewed as the favourite, has dropped to No. 5 in the WTA rankings and hasn’t reached a tour final since claiming her third consecutive French Open title last June. However, she has been dominant so far in the 2025 tournament, winning all her matches in straight sets.
Swiatek also holds a 2-0 record over Rybakina in 2025, having beaten her at both the United Cup in January and the Qatar Open in February.
Meanwhile, Rybakina has fallen out of the top 10 amid a string of injuries and illnesses over the past year. The former Wimbledon champion has also been at the centre of controversy involving her coach Stefano Vukov, who is currently suspended by the WTA and banned from tournament venues.
Nonetheless, Rybakina enters Roland Garros with momentum, having claimed her ninth career title last week at the Strasbourg International—her first tournament win in over a year.
Leave a Reply