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Iga Swiatek began her quest for a fourth consecutive French Open title on Monday with a composed 6-3, 6-3 victory over Slovakia’s Rebecca Sramkova.
The reigning champion extended her remarkable unbeaten streak at Roland Garros to 22 matches. Despite a lack of titles over the past year causing her to drop to fifth in the world rankings, Swiatek showed her usual dominance on the clay courts of Court Philippe Chatrier.
After a tense opening set, the Pole seized the momentum by breaking Sramkova’s serve in the seventh game to go 4-3 up. She then broke again to close out the set.
Sramkova, ranked 42nd in the world, made a bright start to the second set, moving 2-0 ahead. However, Swiatek quickly responded, levelling the set and securing a decisive break to clinch the win in straight sets. The pair also met earlier this year at the Australian Open, where Swiatek similarly claimed victory in two sets.
“She played very freely and went for her shots, so it wasn’t an easy match,” Swiatek said after the win. “I knew I had to stay proactive and use my strengths. I’m pleased with how I played—it was a solid performance.”
Now boasting a formidable 36-2 record at Roland Garros, the four-time champion will next face Britain’s Emma Raducanu in the second round. Raducanu advanced after a three-set win over China’s Wang Xinyu, marking her return to the tournament for the first time since her 2022 debut.
