Four-time champion Iga Swiatek mounted a dramatic comeback to defeat Elena Rybakina 1-6, 6-3, 7-5 on Sunday, securing her spot in the French Open quarter-finals. Facing her clay-court nemesis and trailing 6-1, 2-0 on Court Philippe Chatrier, Swiatek rallied to extend her unbeaten run at Roland Garros.
“It felt like I was playing against Jannik Sinner,” Swiatek joked, after being overpowered early by the 12th seed. Rybakina came out swinging and nearly handed Swiatek her first-ever Grand Slam ‘bagel’, but the Polish star held on and turned the match with a 10-point streak in the second set.
The third set saw high drama as Rybakina appeared to double fault on break point at 4-4, only for umpire Kader Nouni to overrule the call. Swiatek weathered the storm, eventually breaking and sealing the win with a roar and a chest-thump, calling the victory a testament to her patience and adaptability.
She now faces Elina Svitolina, who saved three match points to beat last year’s finalist Jasmine Paolini 4-6, 7-6(6), 6-1. Swiatek is eyeing a historic fourth consecutive title at Roland Garros — a feat no woman has achieved in the Open Era.
Meanwhile, Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen edged past Liudmila Samsonova 7-6(5), 1-6, 6-3 and will face world No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka, who saw off Amanda Anisimova 7-5, 6-3 after missing seven match points. With that, Sabalenka becomes the first woman to reach 10 straight Grand Slam quarterfinals since Serena Williams (2014–17).
In the men’s draw, defending champion Carlos Alcaraz overcame a gritty challenge from Ben Shelton to win 7-6(8), 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 and record his 100th tour-level clay victory. “I tried to calm myself… I was angry, but I kept going,” said Alcaraz, who now meets Tommy Paul — the first American man to reach the French Open quarter-finals since 2003.
Paul dispatched Alexei Popyrin in straight sets, while fellow American Frances Tiafoe also advanced after defeating Daniel Altmaier. Tiafoe now faces clay specialist Lorenzo Musetti, who beat Holger Rune and has reached the semifinals of all three clay Masters events this season.
As the tournament enters its final stretch, all eyes remain on Swiatek’s bid for history, Alcaraz’s title defense, and a potential semifinal clash between Sabalenka and Swiatek — the rivalry women’s tennis has been waiting for.
