Photo credit: Daniel Kopatsch/Getty
Shuffling her feet in rapid stutter steps across the red clay, Iga Swiatek looked like a woman going places during the coin toss.
Reigning Roland Garros champion Swiatek turned her Court Philippe Chatrier return into restoration day.
Swiatek surged through six of the last seven games repelling Rebecca Sramkova 6-3, 6-3 in her Roland Garros opener.
"It feels great," Swiatek told the media in Paris. "I think it was a great first round and a really solid performance."
Launching her quest for an Open Era record fourth consecutive French Open crown, Swiatek scored her 22nd straight Roland Garros win.
The four-time Roland Garros champion’s 22-match winning streak is the fourth longest Open Era women’s winning streak in Paris behind only Chrissie Evert (29), Monica Seles (25) and Justine Henin (24). Swiatek’s fourth French Open crown ties her with Henin for third on the Open Era list behind only Evert (7) and Steffi Graf (6).
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Facing a demanding draw with an unfamiliar No. 5 seed next to her name, Swiatek will play 2021 US Open champion Emma Raducanufor a third-round spot. Raducanu fended off No. 43 Xinyu Wang 7-5, 4-6, 6-3 in two hours, 44 minutes.
Swiatek is 4-0 lifetime vs. Raducanu, including dispensing a 6-1, 6-0 thrashing at the Australian Open in January.
"I didn't really think about that match, honestly. I was thinking about our Stuttgart match, and I think we played another time on clay after — I'm not sure," Swiatek said of Raducanu. "I don't really take a lot from that except the experience and, like, me knowing how she plays, you know.
"But Melbourne and Roland Garros, like, totally different surfaces, different stories. I'll prepare tactically as I should, you know, before a clay court match, and that's it."
Reflecting on her Melbourne loss, Raducanu realizes if she doesn't go for her shots in the rematch, Swiatek will shred her.
"I think it's a match for me where I can really test and challenge myself," Raducanu said. "I think exposure to the top players is great for where I'm at for my development.
"I think especially on clay, you know, it's her preferred tournament probably, surface. She's won it, like, four times. It's a match where I can go out and test really just myself and go for my shots, because I know if I just push the ball, I'm probably going to get eaten.
"I need to, like, hit the ball. I'm looking forward to that challenge."
It was a day that began with Spaniard Jessica Bouzas Maneiro crushing ninth-seeded American Emma Navarro 6-0, 6-1 in 57 minutes on Court Suzanne Lenglen.
Navarro is the second-seeded American woman to fall following Rome semifinalist Peyton Stearns’ first-round loss yesterday.
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Much has happened since then world No. 1 Swiatek rocked maiden major finalist Jasmine Paolini rolling to a Roland Garros championship three-peat with a stylish 6-2, 6-1 thrashing last June.
On that day, Swiatek swept her fourth French Open championship in the last five years, raising her Grand Slam finals record to an immaculate 5-0. She did it all after climbing off the red clay canvas and saving a match point to subdue four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka in round two of the 2024 French Open.
Since then, Swiatek was stunned by Zheng Qinwen in the Paris Olympics at Roland Garros, split with coach Tomasz Wiktorowski last October, accepted a one-month ban after testing positive for the banned substance trimetazidine (TMZ) in an out-of-competition sample in August, hired new coach Wim Fissette and has faced season-long struggles both on and off the court with the recent passing of her grandfather.
Last night, Swiatek sat next to fellow defending champion Carlos Alcaraz watching the moving Rafa Nadal celebration on Chatrier and today Swiatek seized the stage herself.
"I literally lost a match on the Olympics, so it's not like you can't lose [at Roland Garros]," Swiatek said. "But for sure I feel a lot of good energy, and I feel like I'm ready to fight.
"You know, I am willing to fight, and it's great to be pumped up before the match because of that, so I'm using it, for sure."
Credit the big-serving Sramkova for playing fearless drives at the start as she stayed in step through six games.
Charging forward, Swiatek slashed a forehand drive volley for a third break point then banged a backhand down the line breaking for 4-3.
Though Swiatek is sometimes net averse, she navigated a tight deuce hold with a slick forehand drop volley holding for 5-3.
Finding her range, Swiatek swatted a backhand drive crosscourt seizing the 43-minute opening set with her 17th winner—10 more than her Slovakian opponent.
Five months ago, Swiatek slammed Sramkova, 6-0, 6-2 in the Australian Open second round.
This was a much more assertive Sramkova that Swiatek encountered today.
The 28-year-old Slovakian broke to start the second set and drew a Swiatek error to back up the break at 15 for a 2-0 lead.
Stalking the baseline, Swiatek was striking with more authority as the set progressed while Sramkova’s down the line drives were straying.
A revved up Swiatek surged through eight of nine points breaking at love in the sixth game then confirming for 4-3.
Making one final stand, Sramkova saved triple break point to draw even at deuce only to betray her cause bunting successive drop shots into net as Swiatek scored her fourth break for 5-3.
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On her third match point, Swiatek slid a serve off the service line to close in one hour, 24 minutes.
The owner of 10 clay-court championships raised her Roland Garros record to 36-2.