It wasn’t too long back when the world of sports came to a standstill during the pandemic, and tennis, quite naturally, also faced unprecedented disruption. But amid that chaos, a teenage sensation rose from the shadows – a 19-year-old Iga Swiatek, who lit up the stage on the red clay in Paris. She captured her maiden Roland Garros title in commanding fashion, defeating former GS champion Sofia Kenin in straight sets. “I wasn’t expecting to win this trophy. It’s obviously amazing for me. It’s a life-changing experience,” she said in the aftermath. Since then, Swiatek hasn’t looked back, racking up 3 more French Open titles and eyeing her fifth in just six years. It’s hardly a surprise that the odds are heavily in her favor with the French Open looming, but the renowned tennis journalist Jon Wertheim is of the opinion that the Pole is not going to be the overwhelming favorite at the Roland Garros this year.
Swiatek’s clay-court expertise stands largely unmatched in today’s game! After clinching her fourth French Open title last year in just five appearances, she joined the elite company of Justine Henin and Monica Seles as the only women to win 3 consecutive titles in Paris. Her dominance wasn’t just limited to that. Swiatek also became only the second player after Serena Williams (2013) to win Madrid, Rome, and Roland Garros in a single calendar year. She’s the first woman in a decade to pull off a GS title hat-trick at the same event, a feat last achieved by the iconic Serena Williams at the US Open from 2012 to 2014.
Before her 2024 campaign, Swiatek spoke with heartfelt emotion about her special connection with the French Open. “It’s just my favourite tournament, my favourite surface. It was here, as a young player, that I believed for the first time I could be great at what I do,” she said. But ahead of the upcoming 2025 Roland Garros, Jon Wertheim is expressing uncertainty regarding the Pole’s odds of winning the clay court championship.
Iga Swiatek, Aryna Sabalenka, Mirra Andreeva
Who is your pick to win Roland Garros? #TCLive pic.twitter.com/f0DnXKUFaF
— Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel) May 9, 2025
The Tennis Channel recently revealed the betting odds for the upcoming Roland Garros, placing Iga Swiatek as the top favourite, with current top seed Aryna Sabalenka trailing in second. Upon seeing those numbers, Wertheim expressed his surprise, saying, “I am surprised. Yes, Iga has won four of the last five times at the Roland Garros but given her form or some of her body language given some of her quotes so far this year, I think Sabalenka is going to be a favourite, I am very surprised by it.”
Wertheim later speculated that Swiatek’s odds were perhaps driven more by her past success than her current form. “I am surprised Iga is the favourite. That is based on past history and not recent history,” he added.
Iga Swiatek’s current form might explain the raised eyebrows over her being the favourite for France. Although she has been the second seed after Aryna Sabalenka, she has not made it to a final this season. Although she made it to the SF in the AO, Qatar Open, Indian Wells, and Madrid Open, she couldn’t clear that hurdle. Most recently, Coco Gauff handed her a straight-sets defeat in Madrid, adding to the frustration.
Off the court, Iga has drawn attention for reasons beyond her game as well. At Indian Wells, she visibly lost her cool during a match against Mirra Andreeva, slamming the ball in frustration and nearly hitting a ball boy who was simply doing his job. That moment sparked criticism and concern over her on-court temperament.
And as the Roland Garros draws closer, it all comes down to how Swiatek handles the pressure. However, before that she has opened up about her mindset while playing on the Italian red clay, offering insights into her mental approach for upcoming matches.
Iga Swiatek opens up about not thinking of rankings while playing at Rome
For Swiatek, the Italian open remains a fortress! With 3 titles from the last 4 editions, she began her 2025 Rome campaign dominantly. On Thursday, she breezed past Italian wildcard Elisabetta Cocciaretto 6-1, 6-0 in less than an hour. The second seed played nearly flawless tennis, winning 28 of 35 service points and never facing a break point.
Her performance marked an 18th straight-sets win in Rome and her ninth bagel at the tournament. The 23-year-old now has 33 bagel sets to her name in WTA 1000 events, but Swiatek remains focused on her form, not stats or rankings.
“The results and rankings. On court, I don’t think about that. It’s a new year, it’s a different story. Everybody is at different stages of their lives, different mindsets, sometimes different challenges. I’m just trying not to compare and just to create a new story rather than repeating what happened before,” she said after her win against Cocciaretto.
Next, she faces Danielle Collins, holding a 7-1 H2H advantage. But with her recent form in question, can Swiatek maintain momentum and push deeper in Rome? What do you think?
The post “I’m Surprised!” – American Tennis Bigwig Questions Favoritism for Iga Swiatek at Roland Garros Despite Recent Form appeared first on EssentiallySports.