Iga Swiatek lost to Elina Svitolina, 4-6, 6-2, 2-6, in the semi-finals of the Italian Open.
The resurgent Pole couldn’t quite get over the line to reach her first final of the year in Rome.
How highly would you rate Elina Svitolina’s chances of winning the French Open out of 10?
But with Roland Garros right around the corner, Swiatek has plenty to look forward to.
Iga Swiatek actually won more points than Elina Svitolina in their Italian Open semi-final
Swiatek fell short against Svitolina, but was arguably better than the scoreline would suggest.
Highlighting a key statistic from the semi-final, Coco Gauff’s former coach, Brad Gilbert, posted the following message on X.
“What a solid effort from double Lina [Elina Svitolina], taking out Iga [Swiatek],” said Gilbert.
“Very interesting stat you don’t see very often, Iga won two more points in the match, especially with a 6-2 third set.”
Iga Swiatek vs Elina Svitolina – Match stats
| Stats | Iga Swiatek | Elina Svitolina |
| Aces | 2 | 2 |
| Double faults | 1 | 6 |
| 1st Serve % | 61% | 55% |
| Win % on 1st Serve | 64% | 64% |
| Win % on 2nd Serve | 38% | 42% |
| Points won | 88 | 86 |
| Break points | 5/16 | 6/9 |
Swiatek won 88 points to Svitolina’s 86 in her three-set defeat on Thursday evening.
So after a strong week, even in defeat, Swiatek remained competitive.
And the Pole was in dire need of a ‘strong week’, having made a slow start to life under Francisco Roig.
When Swiatek hired Roig for the clay-court season, many wondered if she would rediscover the form that saw her win four Roland Garros titles.
Things took a little longer than expected, though, as Swiatek struggled in Stuttgart and Madrid before bouncing back in style at the Italian Open.
Iga Swiatek’s record since hiring Francisco Roig (6-3)
- Stuttgart Open 2R [WIN] vs Laura Siegemund, 6-2, 6-3
- Stuttgart Open QF [LOSS] vs Mirra Andreeva, 6-3, 4-6, 3-6
- Madrid Open 2R [WIN] vs Daria Snigur, 6-1, 6-2
- Madrid Open 3R [LOSS] vs Ann Li, 6-7, 6-2, 0-3 (RET)
- Italian Open 2R [WIN] vs Caty McNally, 6-1, 6-7, 6-3
- Italian Open 3R [WIN] vs Elisabetta Cocciaretto, 6-1, 6-0
- Italian Open 4R [WIN] vs Naomi Osaka, 6-2, 6-1
- Italian Open QF [WIN] vs Jessica Pegula, 6-1, 6-2
- Italian Open SF [LOSS] vs Elina Svitolina, 4-6, 6-2, 2-6
Swiatek’s wins over Elisabetta Cocciaretto, Naomi Osaka, and Jessica Pegula, where she dropped a combined seven games, were reminiscent of the player who was once the dominant force on clay.
Is Iga Swiatek now the favourite to win Roland Garros?
What a performance!
If she can play like that at the French Open, she could well be in line to win her fifth title…
Why the 2026 French Open is the most unpredictable in years
Swiatek re-entered the title conversation with her performances in Rome, but she’s far from a clear favourite to win Roland Garros.
But what’s interesting is that nobody is.
Swiatek’s biggest rival, and last year’s runner-up, Aryna Sabalenka, has yet to find her footing on clay this season.
The Belarusian lost to Hailey Baptiste in the Madrid Open quarter-finals, and then lost to Sorana Cirstea in the third round of the Italian Open.
Traveling to Paris with a 4-2 record on clay, Sabalenka doesn’t look nearly as formidable as she did a few months ago when she won Indian Wells and the Miami Open.
Then, there’s Coco Gauff.
The American, like Sabalenka and Swiatek, was struggling to find her groove on clay, but has impressed in the Italian capital.
Winning several thrilling three-set matches, Gauff booked her place in the Italian Open final, reminding fans how she won the Roland Garros title a year ago.
Still, you wouldn’t describe Gauff’s 2026 clay-court campaign as dominant.
The only ‘dominant’ player we’ve seen on clay this year is Marta Kostyuk.
Kostyuk won the Open de Rouen event before clinching the Madrid Open title.
Is Marta Kostyuk a dark horse to win the French Open?
She’s just won the Madrid Open!
The Ukrainian is unbeaten on clay this year, although there are question marks surrounding her ability to perform at the Grand Slam events.
She has never been past the fourth round at Roland Garros, a statistic you cannot ignore when assessing her French Open chances.
The likes of Elena Rybakina, Mirra Andreeva, and Svitolina are all worth mentioning, too, but unlike previous years, there is no one clear favourite.
It remains to be seen who will emerge victorious at Roland Garros, but with the field this open, you certainly won’t want to miss any of the action.
The 2026 French Open begins on Sunday, May 24.