Rivals attempt to dethrone Swiatek at French Open

French Open 2025

Dates: 25 May-8 June Venue: Roland Garros

Coverage: Live power commentaries crossed 5 Live Sport and BBC Sounds, positive unrecorded matter commentaries connected nan BBC Sport website and app

Will Iga Swiatek's reign astatine nan French Open proceed - aliases tin 1 of her rivals dethrone nan 'Queen of Clay'?

The 23-year-old is nan three-time defending champion successful Paris and has won 4 of nan past 5 titles there.

But Poland's erstwhile world number 1 does not get astatine Roland Garros pinch her accustomed aerial of invincibility.

Swiatek has not lifted a trophy, aliases moreover made a final, since winning nan French Open 12 months agone - a play during which she served a 1 period doping suspension.

Among nan main threats to Swiatek's bid to go nan first female to triumph 4 consecutive French Open titles are Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff.

Sabalenka replaced Swiatek arsenic world number 1 towards nan extremity of 2024, having won 2 of nan 4 Grand Slams that year.

The Belarusian, runner-up astatine nan Australian Open successful January, is successful imperious form. She won nan Madrid Open successful nan build-up to Roland Garros and has won 34 of her 40 matches this season.

American Gauff, meanwhile, has not mislaid earlier nan quarter-finals successful her past 4 French Open appearances.

Runner-up 3 years ago, 2023 US Open champion Gauff was denied different title tilt by Swiatek successful nan semi-finals past year.

American world number three Jessica Pegula is chasing a first awesome but, aft missing past year's tourney done injury, is yet to spell beyond nan quarter-finals astatine nan French Open.

Italy's Jasmine Paolini reached 2 awesome finals successful a breakout 2024 season, including losing to Swiatek successful Paris, and hit Gauff to the Italian Open title successful May.

History-making teen Mirra Andreeva is besides a contender. The 18-year-old Russian reached nan semi-finals past twelvemonth and, aft becoming nan youngest subordinate to triumph a WTA 1,000 title successful February, could go nan youngest female to triumph a awesome since 2004.

China's Zheng Qinwen, meanwhile, won Olympic golden astatine connected nan Roland Garros clay past summertime and stunned Sabalenka astatine nan Italian Open earlier successful May.

Katie Boulter is nan top-ranked British female successful nan singles tie but nan 28-year-old has ne'er won a lucifer astatine nan French Open.

However, Boulter won her first WTA Tour lucifer connected clay successful Madrid past period earlier celebrating her first clay-court title astatine a WTA 125 arena successful Paris past week.

Former US Open champion Emma Raducanu said she was beginning to "build a relationship" pinch clay courts while completing her French Open preparations successful Strasbourg, but suffered an wounded scare successful her second-round exit.

Raducanu will dream to flooded immoderate backmost rumor quickly, having returned to nan world's apical 50, reached nan Italian Open 4th information and hit world number 17 Daria Kasatkina connected nan clay successful caller months.

Fellow Britons Sonay Kartal and Jodie Burrage will besides title nan women's singles.

Britons Olivia Nicholls is successful nan women's doubles pinch partner Tereza Mihalikova of Slovakia, while Harriet Dart will play alongside Australia's Kimberley Birrell.