QUEEN OF THE COURT

She's just won her fifth Grand Slam title and at 23 tennis star Iga Świątek is only getting started!

- JANICE BECKETT-MSIZA

WHAT is it that makes Iga wi tek such a formidable force on the tennis court?

Experts can’t seem to agree: some say it’s the Polish powerhouse’s athleticism and laser- like focus, others reckon it’s her killer forehand and incredible ability to blast winners.

Whatever it is, when the world No 1 is in full swing she’s virtually unplayable. Watching Iga (23) in action in the recent French Open final in Paris it was difficult not to feel a little sorry for her opponent, Jasmine Paolini (28). The Italian wasn’t just being beaten – she was being demolished.

All it took was 68 minutes for Iga to clinch the title, and she did so without seeming to break a sweat. Her 6-2 6-1 victory marked a milestone in her career, taking her tally of French Open wins to four (three of them consecutive) and proving she’s the reigning queen of clay.

Fittingly there to present Iga with her trophy were tennis legends Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert. With seven wins at the French Open, Chris holds the women’s record at Roland-Garros but she’s the first to concede Iga could easily eclipse this, possibly even going into double digits.

‘‘Now that she’s won four, I think she could pass my total,’’ the 69-year-old former champ says.

Iga has also become the youngest player in the open era to win five Grand Slam titles – her four French Opens plus the 2022 US Open.

She became world No 1 in 2022 when Ashleigh Barty (28) retired, only dropping to No 2 for a few weeks in 2023, when she lost the top spot to Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka in September. In November she was No 1 again.

Iga might make it look easy but she says every match is a struggle and she’s a bundle of nerves each time she sets foot on court. Paris was no different.