It's a Sab story as queen of clay abdicates

IGA Swiatek’s reign as the queen of clay was ended by Aryna Sabalenka in the semi-finals of the French Open.

- By ANDY SIMS

The irresistible force beat the immovable object as runaway world number one Sabalenka inflicted the four-time champion's first defeat at the tournament in four years.

In the first meeting between the WTA's two most dominant players at a grand slam since the 2022 US Open, Swiatek's run of 26 consecutive victories at the Paris grand slam was halted in a 7-6 (1) 4-6 6-0 defeat.

A three-time grand slam champion on hard courts, Sabalenka finally made her first final on the red dirt of Roland Garros.

After a match which would have graced the final - and it probably would have been had Swiatek's ranking not slipped to five - Sabalenka said: “Honestly, it feels incredible.