Iga Swiatek defended his French Open title after a thrilling final

World number one Iga Swiatek has not dropped a set so far in the tournament.

But she did so in the final against unseeded 43rd seed Karolina Muchova of the Czech Republic, who sensationally reached her first Grand Slam final.

After the first set, in which the defending champion Swiatek won 6-2 according to plan, Muchova came back with a message.

Muchova won the second set

Suddenly, Swiatek was under significant pressure when the 26-year-old Czech player broke her serve. After several long and entertaining duels, where Muchova was, among other things, responsible for blocking an incomparable ball with her back in the wrong direction, it was ultimately the underdog in the final who served the second set (7-5).

The crowd enjoyed great entertainment on Court Philippe Chatrier and even the third deciding set developed into a thriller.

But when it mattered most, Swiatek was victorious. The match point came on Muchova’s serve in the final, which lasted two hours and 46 minutes.

“I wouldn’t be here without you”

For Swiatek, the win was her third French Open title in four years (having previously won in 2020 and 2022). Thus, she is the first player to defend the women’s singles title since Justine Henin won the tournament three years in a row between 2005-2007.

The court thanked her team and family.

– I know this is an individual sport, but without you I wouldn’t be here. Swiatek says: It is difficult to be in a tournament like this without resting for several weeks.

She also took the opportunity to praise Muchova:

– I hope we meet in several finals in the future.