In a sizzling clash between a reborn Elena Rybakina and Iga Swiatek, it was 5-0 in favor of the Kazakh within just 20 minutes. Her serve was firing on all cylinders, and she attacked the Pole’s serve as if it were target practice — this was a rocket assault of the highest order from Rybakina.
Early in the second set, it was quickly 2-0 again for Rybakina, and there was no sign that Swiatek could turn the match around. But as has happened so many times before: give the Pole a streak of a few points and she suddenly claws her way back into the match. That’s what sets her apart from someone like Sabalenka. Sabalenka has to dominate — if she does, the match is over. You leave the court as the loser. In the WTA, Coco Gauff is the closest to possessing that rare ability of self-rescue. Give the American three points in a row when she’s struggling tactically or with her game, and you can be sure she’s suddenly back in it.
And the miracle happened in the Swiatek vs. Rybakina match. A few points in a row, and Swiatek was right back. The old narrative that the Pole crumbles mentally is starting to sound tired. She hadn’t reached a final in a long time, but the way she fought back against Rybakina was impressive. At one point, she reeled off ten points in a row — purely through her own merit. Out of nowhere, she took the second set 6-3 after losing the first 1-6.
In the third set, the fireworks came from both sides. The stadium had now filled almost entirely, with slightly louder support for Rybakina. Neither player struggled on serve, and the score quickly reached 3-3. Rybakina served and fell behind 0-30 — always dangerous. Swiatek seized her chance and went up 3-4. But Rybakina responded fiercely, racing to 0-30 and sealing the rebreak swiftly: 4-4, all to play for. She then held for 5-4 after saving breakpoints, even though just minutes earlier she had trailed 3-4.
Swiatek, under heavy pressure, looked ready to crack — at least, that’s what the “experts” would say. But nothing was further from the truth. A love-game made it 5-5, and then there was no stopping the Polish athlete. She broke Rybakina easily for 5-6 and served out the match cleanly.
In short: Iga Swiatek, the queen of Roland Garros, is fully back thanks to this win. She played against one of the best versions of Rybakina in recent months and managed to take control. Never give her more than 2–3 points in a row when she seems down — just like Coco Gauff, she’ll fight her way back into the match and under her opponent’s skin like few others can.
On Tuesday, she’ll face Elina Svitolina. We’ve known for months that the Ukrainian is back in form, but the matchup is inherently more favorable for Swiatek than one against Rybakina ever is. She’s now in the quarterfinals, and if she gets past Svitolina, the road to the final seems wide open. Another final in sight? This win will give her an enormous boost.