Aryna Sabalenka halts Iga Swiatek's run to reach French final
Top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka ended Iga Swiatek's run of dominance at the French Open, denying the latter's bid for a fourth straight title at Roland Garros on Thursday.
A three-time Grand Slam champion, Sabalenka snapped the fifth-seeded Poland native's 26-match French Open winning streak with a 7-6 (1), 4-6, 6-0 decision in Paris.
The 27-year-old from Belarus dispatched Swiatek in 2 hours and 19 minutes to become the first woman to reach the singles final in three consecutive Grand Slam events since Serena Williams (2016).
Sabalenka will look to win her first French Open title Saturday. She will meet No. 2 seed Coco Gauff, who brought 361st-ranked French wild-card Lois Boisson's fairytale run to an end with a swift 6-1, 6-2 triumph in Thursday's other semifinal.
'Honestly, it feels incredible, but I understand the job is not done yet. I'm just thrilled today with this win and the atmosphere,' Sabalenka said. 'She's the toughest opponent, especially on clay, especially at Roland Garros. It was a tough match, it was a tricky match, but I managed.'
Sabalenka took advantage of 12 unforced errors by Swiatek in the decisive third set.
'It could not be more perfect than that,' Sabalenka said. 'I'm super proud right now. I'm glad I found my serve.'
Swiatek won her first French Open in 2020 before claiming the trophies in 2022, 2023 and 2024. She also won a bronze medal at Roland Garros in the 2024 Paris Olympics. Her French Open record is 40-3.
Sabalenka and Gauff have split their 10 previous meetings.
It will be the first time a World No. 1 and No. 2 have met in a Grand Slam final since the 2018 Australian Open, where Caroline Wozniacki defeated Simona Halep.
Gauff, 21, who lost to Swiatek in the 2022 final, returned to the championship round in convincing fashion. She saved four of five break points and took advantage of Boisson's 33 unforced errors (compared to eight winners) to advance in just 72 minutes.
'Obviously there's still a lot of work to do, but for now I'll enjoy this one and then prepare for the final tomorrow,' said Gauff, the 2023 U.S. Open champion who is looking for her second major title.
Boisson, 22, was trying to become the first Frenchwoman to win the French Open since Mary Pierce in 2000.
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