Iga Swiatek made history by winning this year’s Roland Garros, but it almost didn’t happen because of Naomi Osaka’s inspired effort.
Osaka is not one to spoil the party intentionally, but she nearly did when it comes to Swiatek’s legacy. Winning events a few times in a row is extremely difficult due to how tennis draws are made and how many matches it takes to win a tournament.
The Japanese player had a match point against the world no. 1 but allowed the Polish player to turn it around and win the match. It was a hugely important match for Swiatek, after which she went on a rampage to beat everybody on her path towards a historic trophy.
That match will be mentioned often when discussing this event because it hugely mattered to the Polish personally. Surviving that gave her the confidence boost she needed, and the result was clearly visible in how she played the matches.
Nobody stood a chance, and it looked very similar to her 2022 run, where she thrashed everybody as well. This year, her run ended with her third consecutive French Open trophy, fourth overall in Paris, and fifth overall at majors.
“I think this one was the most similar to 2022. I knew what I was going for and I knew I had the game to win it. Even though I was really close to being out of it against Naomi in the 2nd round, I just survived that match and then it went… I played with huge confidence. I’m really proud of myself that I didn’t stop and pressure didn’t squeeze me down.”
Winning this event is certainly another significant achievement for Swiatek, who expected a lot of pressure this year. Her second very important event will come at the Olympics, which will be played on these same courts.
She’s shown that she has the game to win it, but it will be crucial for her to actually show that she can handle the moment as well as this time around.
