Arina Sabalenka (1st, Belarus) and Iga Swiatek (5th, Poland) are set to compete in a major tennis tournament, promising a thrilling matchup between two of the sport’s top players.

Last year, Sabalenka triumphed over Chung Shin-won (7th, China), the Paris Olympic gold medalist, with a 2-0 victory (7-6 <7-3> 6-3) in the semi-finals at Roland Garros in Paris, France.

This win propelled Sabalenka back into the semi-finals for the first time since 2023. Having secured victories at the Australian Open in both 2023 and 2024, a major hard court competition, Sabalenka now aims for her first final at the French Open on clay.

In her previous match, Iga Swiatek defeated Elina Svitolina (14th, Ukraine) with a score of 2-0 (6-1 7-5), securing her place in the semi-finals.

[파리 로이터=뉴스핌] Jang Hwan-soo, a sports reporter = ‘Soil Shin’, who is aiming for four consecutive French Open, is delighted after breaking Elina Svittolina 2-0 in the quarter-finals. 2025.06.03 zangpabo@newspim.com

Swiatek, often referred to as “women’s Soil,” is vying for her fourth consecutive French Open title. She previously won in 2020 and has consistently reached the top four at the French Open for the past five years.

Looking at their head-to-head record, Swiatek holds an advantage over Sabalenka with 8 wins and 4 losses. Notably, she has a critically important lead on clay courts, with 5 wins and only 1 loss.

“Women’s Soil’ Shibi Ong Tech will challenge the French Open for four consecutive years.”

Understanding the French Open

The French Open, also known as Roland Garros, is one of the four Grand Slam tournaments in tennis, alongside the australian Open, Wimbledon, and the US Open. It is the only Grand Slam played on clay courts, making it a unique and challenging event for players. The slow surface of clay courts generally favors players with strong baseline games and the ability to generate spin.