World No.1 and top seed Iga Swiatek has powered her way into a third successive final and fourth overall at the French Open with a straight-set victory over America's Coco Gauff on Thursday at Court Philippe-Chatier. The three-time champion of the French Open emerged as the leader after she ensured her place in the final at the expense of the third seed, Gauff, defeating her 6-2, 6-4, and setting up a showdown for the championship this Saturday.
In the bright skies of Court Philippe Chatrier, Swiatek took 1 hour and 37 minutes to get past Gauff, moving her career record against the American to 11-1. Swiatek is only the third player since 2000 to reach three French Open women's singles finals in a row, after Justine Henin (2005-2007) and Maria Sharapova (2012-2014).
Swiatek broke Gauff's serve in the first and fifth games of the first set. Although the Polish star gave up an early break at 3-1 in the second set, she quickly regrouped and won five of the last six games, breaking Gauff once more with a forehand winner in the seventh game on her way to sealing the win.
Swiatek will play either Italy's Jasmine Paolini or Mirra Andreeva in the final as she tries for a fifth French Open women's singles title.
Swiatek has now won her last 20 matches at Roland Garros, having played Gauff in the semifinals, and is just the fifth woman in the Open Era to do so. She joins Chris Evert (29 straight, 1984-1991), Monica Seles (25, 1990-1996), Justine Henin (24, 2005-2010), and Stefanie Graf (20, 1987-1989).
Swiatek, at 23 years old, is the second-youngest player in the Open Era to reach four French Open finals, with Steffi Graf the youngest player to do so at 20 years old in 1990.
Currently, Swiatek is also on an 18-match winning streak on clay, which matches her longest clay streak between Stuttgart and Warsaw in 2022.
