Roland Garros: Sabalenka overcomes Swiatek and earns the final

The wind has changed, and in Paris it has turned into a storm. Aryna Sabalenka accomplished the feat: after three consecutive triumphs and 26 straight victories on the Roland Garros clay court, Iga Swiatek relinquished her throne. In an intense, hard-fought and symbolically historic match, the world No. 1 won 7-6(5) 4-6 6-0, punching her ticket to her first final on French clay. A triumph of strength, strategy and maturity.

Sabalenka, from the very beginning, attacked the court with her usual explosive style: powerful serve, aggressive responses, and a clear will to not allow the Polish queen any breathing room. The hard-fought first set was a psychological and physical duel, which saw Swiatek come back from 0-3 to 5-4, before surrendering in the tie-break. It was the first wake-up call for the three-time defending champion, but in the second set she managed to respond like a champion: perfect point construction, intelligent variations, and a management of rhythm that seemed lost in the difficult weeks of spring.

But the third set is a judgment: 6-0, without appeal. Sabalenka raises the level soaringly, while Swiatek, perhaps even mentally drained, fails to respond. Roland Garros, which had seen her dominate for three years, now turns its back on her. Not by demerits, but by a superior performance, that of the Belarusian who with this victory also conquers a piece of history, inflicting on Swiatek only her third defeat in 38 matches on the Parisian red.

Now Sabalenka awaits in the final the winner between Coco Gauff and Lois Boisson, a young French wild-card number 361 in the world, who plays with the weight and dream of a nation on her shoulders. Whatever the opponent, Saturday in Paris will witness a final with a new flavor.