Ruthless world No 1 Iga Swiatek made it three French Open titles in a row on Saturday after thrashing Jasmine Paolini 6-2, 6-2 at Roland Garros.
Swiatek has been in majestic form on the clay-courts of late and she carried over that momentum into the final, disposing of the Italian 12th seed in 68 minutes on Court Phillip-Cartier to secure her fifth major title – and fourth in five years at the Paris Grand Slam.
Paolini, whose previous best major run was reaching Round 4 of the Australian Open, simply could not live with Swiatek whose clinical performance means she has now won all five of the Grand Slam finals she has appeared in, also securing the US Open crown in 2022.
Since saving a match point against former world No 1 Naomi Osaka in Round 2, when she dropped her only set of the tournament, the 23-year-old won 64 of 82 games in five matches.
Swiatek has been victorious in her last 21 matches at Roland Garros and has a 35-2 win record, having not lost a match there since 2021, and has matched Monica Seles (1990–1992) and Justine Henin (2005–2007) in securing three titles on the bounce. Only Chris Evert (29), Seles (25) and Henin (24) have enjoyed longer winning streaks in the French capital.
The 23-year-old became the fourth woman – after Henin, Evert and Steffi Graff – to win four French Open titles in the Open era. Swiatek also joins Serena Williams as the only women to complete the clay-court treble of French, Madrid and Rome Open titles in the same year.
“It's amazing to be here. I love this place. I wait every year to come back,” said Swiatek, who clicked into top gear after saving a match point against Osaka. “I was almost out of the tournament. “I also needed to believe this one is going to be possible, it's been a really emotional tournament.
“Congrats for an amazing tournament. I'm really impressed with how you've [Paolini] been playing these last two weeks.
“I hope we'll have many more matches in final rounds. I want to thank my team, my family, without them I wouldn't be here. I want to thank everyone who made this tournament possible.”
For the 28-year-old Paolini it was a sorry conclusion to an otherwise brilliant two weeks in the French capital. The world No 15 had won a total of four matches in 16 Grand Slam appearances before her run in Melbourne at the start of the year.
ROUTE%20TO%20TITLE
While she fell short of emulating compatriot Francesca Schiavone, who won the 2010 French Open, Paolini could yet finish on a winning note with her and doubles partner Sara Errani through to Sunday's final.
“ Thanks for coming. I really enjoyed playing today. I have to say congratulations to you Iga,” said the 28-year-old on-court after her defeat.
“Playing you here is the toughest challenge in the sport. You are doing a great job – world No 1 and many Slams. I want to thank my team, my family, everyone who is cheering for me everyday. Congratulations to everyone who made this tournament special.
“The best days of my life I think. Tomorrow I have the doubles final. It's been a very intense 15 days and I'm really happy to be here.
“Today was tough but I'm really proud of myself anyway. You were cheering for me and that is unbelievable.”
Swiatek had set about her business quickly. She powered an ace to hold in the opening game and had Paolini back-pedalling down break point, but the Italian ground out a gutsy hold and then broke Swiatek when the Pole flayed a forehand long.
That triggered a searing riposte from Swiatek, who broke to love to get back on serve and then surged 4-2 in front after Paolini coughed up a costly double-fault.
Swiatek had her opponent constantly scurrying around the court and the errors began to stack up for Paolini, who conceded the first set with a weak groundstroke into the net.
With Swiatek firmly in the ascendancy, Paolini looked lost for answers as the top seed oozed confidence and repeatedly took control of the rallies.
Swiatek had difficulty putting away Karolina Muchova last year when heavily fancied, but there was no such trouble 12 months on as the Pole dismantled Paolini to underline her burgeoning status as the 'Queen of clay'.
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The bio
Favourite book: Peter Rabbit. I used to read it to my three children and still read it myself. If I am feeling down it brings back good memories.
Best thing about your job: Getting to help people. My mum always told me never to pass up an opportunity to do a good deed.
Best part of life in the UAE: The weather. The constant sunshine is amazing and there is always something to do, you have so many options when it comes to how to spend your day.
Favourite holiday destination: Malaysia. I went there for my honeymoon and ended up volunteering to teach local children for a few hours each day. It is such a special place and I plan to retire there one day.
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Why are asylum seekers being housed in hotels?
The number of asylum applications in the UK has reached a new record high, driven by those illegally entering the country in small boats crossing the English Channel.
A total of 111,084 people applied for asylum in the UK in the year to June 2025, the highest number for any 12-month period since current records began in 2001.
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Where to donate in the UAE
You can donate to several registered charities through a “donation catalogue”. The use of the donation is quite specific, such as buying a fan for a poor family in Niger for Dh130.
The General Authority of Islamic Affairs & Endowments
The site has an e-donation service accepting debit card, credit card or e-Dirham, an electronic payment tool developed by the Ministry of Finance and First Abu Dhabi Bank.
You can donate online or order Smiles n’ Stuff products handcrafted by Al Noor students. The centre publishes a wish list of extras needed, starting at Dh500.
Beit Al Khair Society has the motto “From – and to – the UAE,” with donations going towards the neediest in the country. Its website has a list of physical donation sites, but people can also contribute money by SMS, bank transfer and through the hotline 800-22554.
Dar Al Ber Society, which has charity projects in 39 countries, accept cash payments, money transfers or SMS donations. Its donation hotline is 800-79.
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Those who travel on Emirates have undoubtedly seen the little donation envelopes in the seat pockets. But the foundation also accepts donations online and in the form of Skywards Miles. Donated miles are used to sponsor travel for doctors, surgeons, engineers and other professionals volunteering on humanitarian missions around the world.
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Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum launched the Noor Dubai Foundation a decade ago with the aim of eliminating all forms of preventable blindness globally. You can donate Dh50 to support mobile eye camps by texting the word “Noor” to 4565 (Etisalat) or 4849 (du).
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Bio
Born in Dibba, Sharjah in 1972.
He is the eldest among 11 brothers and sisters.
He was educated in Sharjah schools and is a graduate of UAE University in Al Ain.
He has written poetry for 30 years and has had work published in local newspapers.
He likes all kinds of adventure movies that relate to his work.
His dream is a safe and preserved environment for all humankind.
His favourite book is The Quran, and 'Maze of Innovation and Creativity', written by his brother.
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Key facilities
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