One legacy was destroyed at the start of the French Open and another one created on Saturday as Iga Swiatek showed ruthless form to rip apart Jasmine Paolini 6-2, 6-1 to win her third title in a row on the red clay at the Court Suzanne Lenglen in the women’s singles final.
When Rafael Nadal, the winner of 14 French Open titles was bounced out of the season’s second Grand Slam on the first Monday, there was anguish. At these Majors, as the Grand Slams are known, romantic relics and those who have created a strong connect with fans are worshipped. For those who have adored a young Rafa and then worshipped him when he won his last title in Paris in 2022, much has changed.
Rafa is past his prime, almost on the last leg of his career. But then, if fans want to talk of a new legacy and worship it, Polish star Iga has already started it. To win her third title in a row at a venue which is loved by European players, Iga has shown that her dominance is indeed defining. Many players before her have won the title at Roland Garros. But the way this 23-year-old has assumed control at this venue is a clear sign she is going to create more history.
To win her fourth French Open title at this age is a sign how well she has planned for the clay-court big bash. Yes, when she struggled in the second round against Naomi Osaka, tongues were wagging. Osaka is making a comeback, post-partum and has won great adulation from fans and even those who criticised her for opening up on her mental health issues. The same Osaka did bother Iga this year. That win seems to have energised Iga into becoming more powerful and more authoritative.
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Yes, commentators on TV did run out of adjectives describing her tennis. She was poetry in motion, a player who produced strokes which were bold and beautiful. It is one thing to smash winners and quite another to create an aura of invincibility at the French Open. Then again, it is not as if Jasmine is a newcomer. She had done well till the final, and before that, sealed the Dubai Open WTA title.
Was it stage fright for Jasmine at the last hurdle? Certainly not, for the Italian has played good tennis. Perhaps, the very thought of showcasing her best set of skills led to her playing below par against Iga. There were some in social media who made a crude comparison on WA – Whatsapp – as to how Iga was like French Fries. The reference was to her kind of throwing Jasmine into boiling oil. That was crude for sure as Iga, on the court and off it is a courteous lady.
Just that when she is in ‘the zone,’ as they say in tennis, Iga showed a champion’s streak. Her service was indeed potent, both the first and second ones, where the speed she generated was intimidating. To rifle in the fuzzy ball at a maximum of 193 kph was serious stuff, even as she recorded an average of 176 kph on her first serve. It gave no chance to Jasmine, really. The second serve, too, was effective, even though the drop in pace was stark. What mattered was she could ride on her confidence and keep putting the Italian under pressure.
When it came to receiving serve, again, Iga was streets ahead with a massive range of shots. Once the return of serve was smart, for Iga to control the baseline play pattern and the mid-court shot production was fluency at its best. As if to churn out something different, her few sorties to the net were also impressive.
Back to the legacy of Iga Swiatek, she has massive following in Paris. There is a tennis club in the south east direction of Roland Garros, where one wall is completely covered by a picture of her. Apparently, before the tournament began, Iga had visited the club and now she adorns its wall.
It seems like yesterday, Iga arrived at the French Open in 2019 as a 17-year-old school kid. Today, she is a superstar, an icon, who is one of the most famous faces in France. On first match point, Iga belted an ace, and hit the deck. This was her fourth French Open title, one which has come right before the Paris Olympics.
“I love this place, honestly,” Iga said as she held the ‘Coupe Suzanne-Lenglen’ (trophy) in her arms and broke into tears. “I wait every year to come back here. I was almost out of the tournament in the second round, so thank you guys for having my back and cheering for me. I also needed to believe that this moment was possible,” she said.
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