Iga Swiatek, a four-time French Open champion, enters this year’s tournament with uncertainty clouding her dominance on clay. The Polish star, now ranked fifth in the world, has endured a difficult 2025 season marked by inconsistency and an absence of titles, despite deep runs in events such as the Australian Open. Having already matched her total losses from last season, Swiatek has yet to reach a claycourt final this year, raising concerns about her readiness to defend her Roland Garros crown.
Her recent struggles may stem partly from a one-month doping suspension last year after testing positive for trimetazidine, a banned substance found in her melatonin sleep supplement. Although cleared by the International Tennis Integrity Agency and allowed to return in October, the disruption seems to have impacted her rhythm.
While Swiatek remains a formidable presence in Paris, her trademark sharpness and dominance have been absent, with a semifinal appearance in Madrid being her best claycourt result this season, followed by an early loss in Rome.
Despite these setbacks, Swiatek has shown her intent to reclaim momentum by arriving in Paris over a week early to prepare. However, she will face stiff competition, particularly from world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, who has collected three titles and three additional finals appearances in 2025. Sabalenka, though never a finalist at Roland Garros, triumphed on clay in Madrid and appears poised to challenge Swiatek’s supremacy.
Other contenders include Coco Gauff, who has consistently reached the later stages of the French Open and arrives in strong form after a Rome final appearance. Jasmine Paolini, who defeated Gauff in both Stuttgart and Rome, made history with her title win in the Italian capital and looks set to be a major threat. Meanwhile, Russian teenager Mirra Andreeva, a semifinalist last year, is also tipped to make a deep run and possibly go even further this time around.
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