The hegemonic Swiatek lifts her third trophy in Paris

Karolina Muchova puts effort into it, stirs, counterattacks. Very meritorious rebellion, the set that scratches, that attitude. He warned: he knows how to play, and a lot. But face the roller. That is, Iga Swiatek, the Pole who listens to Led Zeppelin, who reveres Rafael Nadal and who continues to earn an increasingly large place in the history of tennis. She wins again, for the third time in Paris, and comes to verify again (6-2, 5-7 and 6-4, after 2h 46m) that on clay there is no more dominant or efficient player. No one controls the surface like she does. It is a rock, but this time it suffers from the beautiful and for a long time he fears that it will escape. Even so, it rises this Saturday and delves into history, already pointed out as the youngest (22 years) to catch four Grand Slams since the champion Serena Williams, who achieved poker with only 20 years.

The final is insipid, because Swiatek, the titanium competitor, does not admit discussion and immediately makes a difference. He does not fail, he does not concede, he tackles decisively and Muchova is melting among the embarrassment that has settled in Paris, a tropical city, who was going to say it. Climate change stuff. The Czech, who beat Warsaw in the only precedent – misleading because both began the climb and were still to do, 2019 – is nervous in her first major final and her academic tennis loses finesse, freshness and determination. The corrosive exercise of the number corners him, even paints the story briefly, but strangely Swiatek fades and the pulse changes direction. The champion has a very bad time, 3-4 down in the third, but in the end corrects. He gets up. Ugly and undeserved end for his adversary, with double fault.

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Muchova, a surprising challenge for the unwavering Swiatek

The Polish triumphs, ascends another level and behind are two symbols, Martina Navratilova and Maria Sharapova; he is now partnering with Margaret Court, Monica Seles and Arantxa Sánchez Vicario, owners of three other Roland Garros trophies. "This is my favorite place in the world," says the winner, a girl with concerns, a lover of reading. There is no shortage of tears or anecdote: the lid of the glass falls off and laughs; "I wouldn't be here without my team, I thank you and I apologize for being a pain of... I try to do better. I know we've won this tournament, but it's not easy to be on the tour for a couple of weeks without breaks. Now I can feel satisfaction and we will celebrate."

Muchova serves during the final. EMMANUEL DUNAND (AFP)

Except for the final chapter, it is another walk through the Bois de Boulogne, where only Muchova has managed to refute him. She closes the tournament with four threads (6-0) and the data says that she is the youngest to revalidate the prize since Monica Seles did it, 17 years old when she repeated the American in 1991. Today the hierarchical Swiatek continues to grow, with three crowns of the great Frenchman – seven in clay in total, of the 14 that already look in his file – and a fantastic future ahead. It does not seem unreasonable to think that one day he can equal or surpass the record of the great Chris Evert (7), who knows whether to approach his admired Nadal. He has tennis, it will be a matter of head. She already has four majors, the same number as Osaka, Arantxa and Clijsters, and continues to distinguish herself among the sea of doubts of the WTA.

Unlike most, he is not distracted, is stable and accepts the role of referent without accusing vertigo. Eight titles last year, three already in this one. Metallurgical set, without arabesques; Sobriety and firm hand. Only Seles and Naomi Osaka had won their first four majors to date. Only Barbora Krejcikova, in 2021, intruded on her Parisian idyll. You have to go back to the Belgian Justine Henin (2005-2007) to find the last one she reissued at Roland Garros. He links 62 weeks at the top of the ranking since he took the baton from the Australian Ashleigh Barty, in April 2022, and is running strongly: yes, Swiatek wants to mark an era.

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