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Iga Swiatek Fights Back to Beat Elena Rybakina in French Open

Iga Swiatek battled back to beat Elena Rybakina in the fourth round at Roland Garros.
Pat Benson|
Iga Swiatek defeated Elena Rybakina in the fourth round of the 2025 French Open.
Iga Swiatek defeated Elena Rybakina in the fourth round of the 2025 French Open. | IMAGO / GEPA pictures

The fifth-seed Iga Swiatek faced a seeded opponent for the first time against 12-seed Elena Rybakina in the fourth round of the French Open on Sunday.

Unsurprisingly, it was Swiatek's toughest match yet. However, the winner of the last three French Open titles showed the resolve that has made her the "Queen of Clay."

Swiatek defeated Rybakina in a thrilling, three-set match: 1-6, 6-3, 7-5. After dropping the first set, fans expected another Swiatek meltdown, which became the norm during her year-long title drought.

However, Swiatek moved back off the baseline and sat on Rybakina's backhand in the second set. This strategic decision led to a highly contested decider with plenty of drama.

Swiatek missed out on a double break point opportunity, falling to 4-5 in the third set. There was even a tense moment where the chair umpire reversed a call on Rybakina's serve, ruling it in and tilting the game in Kazakhstani's favor.

Swiatek objected, "I didn't ask you to check it." But maintained her cool and rattled off three straight games to take the set and match. Swiatek has now won 25 consecutive matches at Roland Garros.

The marathon match lasted exactly two hours and thirty minutes. Swiatek hit 57% of her first serves to Rybakina's 48%. Swiatek tallied 33 winners and 29 unforced errors to Rybakina's 28 winners and 35 unforced errors.

Rybakina failed to take advantage of her biggest opportunities, going 4/14 in break points. Meanwhile, Swiatek was 4/8 in break points.

The five-time Grand Slam champion was noticeably relieved after battling back to win the tough match. Speaking from center court at Philippe Chatrier, Swiatek joked that she felt like she was playing Jannik Sinner in the first set.

"I needed to do something to get back in the game. Honestly, with her playing like that, I didn't have a lot of hopes. But I just kept fighting, and I'm happy that I did that because every game, I felt like I could loosen up even more. In the end, I was able to play my game, so I'm super happy."

Swiatek's title defense will not get any easier as she faces the 13-seed Elina Svitolina in the quarterfinals on Tuesday, June 3. Swiatek is now just three wins away from winning her first title in a year and her fourth consecutive French Open.

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Pat Benson
PAT BENSON

Pat Benson covers professional tennis for Serve on Sports Illustrated, reporting on ATP and WTA events worldwide. From Challenger tournaments to Grand Slams, he brings readers in-depth coverage, daily recaps, and exclusive interviews with some of the biggest names in the sport. With a decade of experience in sports journalism, Pat is recognized as a trusted voice in tennis media. You can contact him at 1989patbenson@gmail.com.

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