Musa
Every year, we ask the same question in a slightly different tone: Is this the year Iga Swiatek slips at Roland Garros? And every year, the Polish powerhouse answers with punishing topspin and steely-eyed dominance. But in 2025, the whispers have grown louder. A few early exits on clay, murmurs of mental fatigue, and the relentless rise of challengers like Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff have some bold souls daring to doubt the queen of Court Philippe-Chatrier.
But let’s not get carried away.
Swiatek has owned Paris since her 2020 breakthrough—three titles in four years and a clay game tailor-made for red dirt royalty. The footwork, the precision, the ability to turn defense into ruthless offense—it’s a package few, if any, can match on this surface. She doesn’t just win on clay. She dissects.
Yes, the draw is stacked. Yes, others are hungrier than ever. And yes, form in the weeks leading up hasn’t been godlike. But writing off Swiatek in Paris? That’s like betting against Nadal in his prime—bold, maybe, but mostly foolish.
She thrives in the spotlight, feeds off the pressure, and seems to grow a new layer of invincibility each time she steps onto the terre battue. If anything, the doubts only fuel her fire.
So go ahead, doubt her. But history—and her forehand—suggest that Iga Swiatek is far from finished writing her Roland Garros legacy. And she might just pen another chapter in bold, emphatic red.
Musa
Olaniyi Ayoola
