In the eyes of many seasoned observers, Swiatek was the third favourite for the title behind Sabalenka and American second seed Gauff, who beat French wildcard Lois Boisson in Thursday’s second semi-final. Swiatek has been nowhere near her dominant best over the past year, failing to reach a final since last year’s French Open triumph...
This was illustrated during Draper’s semi-final against Lorenzo Musetti in Madrid. The Briton seemed to be fading in the second set and battled to hang on to his serve – then found another gear in a tie-break to increase his intensity and secure victory. Clay is seen as the most physically demanding surface because its...
Iga Swiatek is set for a mammoth few months. The world number two is defending 4,195 points during the clay-court season after her astonishing 2024, which saw her win every tournament bar the Stuttgart Open. Even then, she reached the semi-finals. Poland’s Swiatek won both WTA 1,000 titles in Madrid and Italy, before picking up...