Iga Swiatek claims Elena Rybakina comeback at 2025 Roland Garros

Iga Swiatek turned around what was shaping up to be a very bad day at 2025 Roland Garros, roaring back from a 6-1, 2-0 deficit to defeat Elena Rybakina, 1-6, 6-3, 7-5 to reach a sixth straight quarterfinal in Paris.

Swiatek and Rybakina were tied 4-4 in their head-to-head coming into Sunday’s match but Swiatek had never before beaten the 2022 Wimbledon champion on clay, ultimately solving Rybakina’s power game to improve to 5-0 in three-setters at Roland Garros and win a 25th straight match in Paris, advancing in two hours and 30 minutes on Court Philippe-Chatrier.

Swiatek expressed visible relief at getting to avoid nemesis Jelena Ostapenko at this tournament, having never beaten the 2017 champion in six previous attempts, but faced a similar challenge in the big-hitting Rybakina after reaching the second week without the loss of a set.

The former world No. 1 has dropped to fifth in the WTA rankings following an underwhelming year in which she has not reached a final since lifting her fourth Roland Garros trophy last year in Paris, losing a 6-1, 6-1 semifinal to Coco Gauff in Madrid and an emotional third round to Danielle Collins at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia.

“Obviously it would be stupid to expect a lot because I’m not able to play my game right now,” a red-eyed Swiatek said after the 6-1, 7-5 defeat.

Swiatek has looked stronger in Paris but so too has Rybakina, who is in the midst of her own uncertainty since coach Stefano Vukov was banned for violating the WTA tour’s Code of Conduct. Though Rybakina and Vukov continue to train between tournaments, the latter is barred from attending events in person, forcing Rybakina to hire an on-site team that is led by former ATP pro Davide Sanguinetti.

The 25-year-old arrived in Paris fresh off her first title of the season, winning a 500-level tournament in Strasbourg, and made quick work of the aforementioned Ostapenko with the loss of just four games.

She enjoyed an equally emphatic start against Swiatek, allowing the Pole just nine points as she roared out to a 5-0 lead. Swiatek saved set points to get on the board but was struggling to find her footing. She took issue with the standing grounds crew anticipating the set’s end, but they were ultimately not far off as Rybakina served out the set and quickly broke to open the second.

Swiatek, who turned 24 on Saturday, earned a reprieve when she scored her first break of the match, moving back into the court and playing better defense to goad Rybakina into a crucial miss at net. As the match ticked past the one-hour mark, the pair played their first long game, clocking in at over 10 minutes. Swiatek was eager to continue her momentum with a third straight game but double-faulted three times on game point.

Rybakina failed to convert three break opportunities and Swiatek went on a tear of her own, winning 11 of 12 points to secure a 5-2 lead.

Though she stopped the run of five games against her, Rybakina was suddenly powerless against an emboldened Swiatek, who confidently served the set out to love.

Swiatek had never lost a deciding set at Roland Garros (4-0), and showed why as the third set got underway, rifling winners off both sides to level the score at two games apiece. Rybakina looked to match that intensity—knocking the racquet out of Swiatek’s hand with a backhand—but Swiatek’s decision to step back on the return continued to pay dividends, earning her a 15-40 lead after an exchange of breaks.

Rybakina looked out of the game when her second serve was called long but an overrule from umpire Kader Nouni gave her a second life and she recovered to put herself a game from the finish line.

Swiatek bravely served to stay in the match and earned two more break points with the score tied at 5-5, and got her break when Rybakina netted a forehand. Another shot into the net pulled up two match points for Swiatek, who edged over the finish line in ecactly two and a half hours.

Standing between Swaitek and a return to the semifinals is Elina Svitolina. A former world No. 3, Svitolina enjoyed a comeback of her own on Sunday, saving three match points to dispatch 2024 finalist Jasmine Paolini.