Former world No. 1 Dinara Safina is making a really daring prediction for the 2025 season because the Russian tennis legend would not assume Iga Swiatek will win the French Open.
As you most likely know nicely, the Pole has been an absolute menace on the clay courts of Roland Garros, profitable the final three French Open editions. For the reason that 23-year-old additionally grew to become a Grand Slam champion on the 2020 French Open, that brings her whole to 4 titles on the Parisian Slam. General, Swiatek has a 35-2 file on the French Open.
Forward of the 2025 season, former three-time Grand Slam finalist Safina spoke to Russian publication Championat. And when requested to choose the winners for subsequent 12 months’s Majors, she tipped Karolina Muchova to finish the Pole’s reign at Roland Garros.
“Australia — Sinner and Sabalenka. Roland Garros — Zverev and, let it be, Muchova. I don’t think Šwiątek will win the Grand Slam on clay next year. Wimbledon — Alcaraz or Medvedev for men, Rybakina for girls. US Open — Medvedev or Rublev for men, Sabalenka again for girls,” Safina informed Championat.
Iga Swiatek© YouTube screenshot
In her first French Open last, the Polish tennis star dominated Sofia Kenin 6-4 6-1 earlier than additionally crushing Coco Gauff 6-1 6-3 two years later. In 2023, she was the closest to dropping a last in Paris as Muchova was up by a break late within the third set earlier than the world No. 2 stormed again to win 6-2 5-7 6-4. This 12 months, she annihilated Jasmine Paolini 6-2 6-1 to finish a three-peat at Roland Garros.
Swiatek might have gained the French Open this 12 months however she did lose a match on the courts of Roland Garros for the primary time since 2021 after Zheng Qinwen upset her within the Paris Olympics semifinal.
Nonetheless, if the previous world No. 1 is absolutely wholesome and there no any unexpected circumstances, there is no such thing as a doubt that she’s going to once more be considered the highest favourite to win all of it in Paris once more subsequent 12 months.
Safina praised Swiatek on this regard
Shortly after making her first Grand Slam last on the 2008 French Open, the Russian made two one other Main finals within the subsequent 12 months and in addition reached the world No. 1 spot. However then, she began coping with a significant again concern – could not proceed her rise – and her final matches got here in 2011.
Earlier than an unlucky harm compelled her to mainly finish her profession at 25, Safina competed towards a gaggle of gamers that’s extensively considered probably the greatest within the twenty first century. Requested to share her tackle the present state of the WTA Tour, the Russian talked about Swiatek and Aryna Sabalenka as the one gamers she views as constant sufficient.
“In my time, there were more consistent players. There were Serena and Venus Williams, Davenport, Mauresmo, Henin, Sharapova, Clijsters and so on. Everyone was consistent all year round, they rarely had easy losses. The top 10 was very tight, you couldn’t touch the girls. And now someone can fail three or four tournaments and then return to the top 10. Now there is Gauff, Pegula, but they are all unstable. Only Sabalenka and Swiatek played the whole season almost without slumps,” Safina defined.
Dinara Safina and Serena Williams© Dinara Safina/Instagram – Honest Use
What Swiatek stated in regards to the possibilities of her emulating Rafael Nadal’s file?
The Pole registering 4 French Open titles by the age of 23 naturally led to some evaluating her to Nadal and questioning if was attainable for her to drag off the Spaniard’s astonishing file of 14 titles. And contemplating how dominant she has been at Roland Garros to date, a few of these comparisons are justified.
“We’ll see in 14 years if the journey is analogous. I imply, that is clearly very nice for me. I’d by no means anticipate anyone to match me to Rafa as a result of for me he is above everyone, and he is a complete legend. Yeah, as I stated, we’ll see in couple of years, however I am happy with myself that I am taking part in persistently right here and that I am talked about in the identical sentence as Rafa. That is cool,” Swiatek stated after her fourth French Open triumph.
At this 12 months’s French Open, the closest to defeating the Pole was Naomi Osaka, who was 5-2 up within the third set and had a match level earlier than the Pole created an epic comeback and sealed a 7-6 (1) 1-6 7-5 win.
