French Open 2025: 'Changing of the guard' expert claim as Aryna Sabalenka downs former champion Iga Swiatek in Roland-Garros semi-finals
ByOli Gent
Updated 05/06/2025 at 19:45 GMT+1
React to this story
TNT Sports expert Coco Vandeweghe has hinted that there might be a passing of the mantle at the top of women's tennis after Aryna Sabalenka crushed Iga Swiatek to reach her first French Open final. Sabalenka, the world No. 1, won 7-6(1) 4-6 6-0 on Court Philippe-Chatrier to beat the four-time Roland-Garros champion. She will face either Coco Gauff or Lois Boisson in the final on Saturday.
'Is this the changing of the guard?' - Vandeweghe on 'sad' demise of Swiatek
Video credit: TNT Sports
TNT Sports expert Coco Vandeweghe has said that there could be a "changing of the guard" when it comes to the best clay-court player in women’s tennis.
Iga Swiatek, the current ‘Queen of Clay’, was beaten in three sets by world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in the French Open semi-finals on Thursday.
Swiatek’s title drought will now go beyond a year, with the Pole having not won a tournament since her fourth Roland-Garros crown last year.
Sabelanka decimated Swiatek at the start of the first set and in the third-set decider, going up 4-1 in the opener, and bagelling the five-time Grand Slam champion in the third.
Swiatek showed her fighting spirit to force a tie-break in the first set and win the second, but Vandeweghe believes that she was "bothered constantly" throughout the affair, which gave Sabalenka the psychological advantage.
"It was a sad beginning because I thought Iga really had it and was gaining momentum," Vandeweghe said.
/origin-imgresizer.tntsports.io/2025/06/05/image-dbd8d98f-e674-4426-b4de-8099332798be-85-2560-1440.jpeg)
Watch as Swiatek is stunned over umpire's call as controversial decision halts match
Video credit: TNT Sports
- 'That's not fair!' - Swiatek proved 'right' despite umpire ruling against her in controversy
- 'Motivated’ Djokovic on Sinner showdown: ‘No bigger occasion’ for me to step up
"She’d figured out what Sabalenka was doing so well. She was taking the ball early, able to meet Iga’s spin on the rise, which is really hard to do on clay, but because the roof was closed, the conditions were perfect for Aryna to be able to execute her game. Iga then just fell away.
"Mentally, she was already bothered constantly, that’s what was so worrying to me the whole match. She realised the moment at hand. What we were all looking for was for Aryna to play Swiatek in the semis.
"This was only the second time they’d played at a Grand Slam. When you’re thinking of world No. 1 and 2, which they were for so long, you’d think that they were meeting in finals for so long like Serena and Venus [Williams].
"Iga was really feeling the pressure. No titles to her name so far, and is yet to play her best tennis or anything near it. We’ve seen glimpses, but it’s not been consistent."
/origin-imgresizer.tntsports.io/2025/06/05/image-41bc3e99-cb84-4c51-a61e-c95d6d56cb57-85-2560-1440.jpeg)
Highlights: Sabalenka downs Swiatek in deciding set to reach first Roland-Garros final
Video credit: TNT Sports
Vandeweghe went as far as saying that the semi-final, which had been hotly anticipated all tournament, did not live up to its pre-match hype.
"I don’t think [it lived up to the billing]," she continued.
"I thought it’d be three sets, but the manner in which Sabalenka won the sets, they were just dominant. Only six points in that third set, that is a complete domination of a former world No. 1. Iga is someone that has dominated on clay.
"When you think of domination on clay, you think of Iga, not Sabalenka. Is this the changing of the guard? Who has the mantle? What Iga has to do is hit the drawing board and see where she’s at. As far as the rest of the year, good luck."
Vandeweghe, who won the US Open doubles title with Ash Barty back in 2018, has backed Sabalenka to win a maiden French Open title in Saturday’s final.
/origin-imgresizer.tntsports.io/2025/06/05/image-f31cd71c-fef1-4f9a-bf17-347fa21b3042-85-2560-1440.jpeg)
'Demolition job' from Sabalenka included 'staggering' final set - expert reaction
Video credit: TNT Sports
"The French crowd might be able to [take down Sabalenka] if [Lois] Boisson gets through, but it’s going to be a hard task. Aryna is the person to beat," she said.
Fellow TNT Sports pundit Lindsay Davenport hailed Sabalenka’s "best set of the tournament" as the Belarusian capped off a brilliant bagel in just 24 minutes, dropping only six points.
"It was an amazing third set by Sabalenka," Davenport said in the TNT Sports commentary box.
"Her best set of the tournament. 24 out of 30 points went to her. She was so aggressive throughout this match. Iga did a tremendous job of turning that second set, playing more to her style, but couldn’t sustain that, particularly early in the third. Sabalenka took off with all that confidence."
Tim Henman said that Sabalenka’s devastating display was a "demolition job" on the former world No. 1.
"An amazing performance," Henman gushed.
/origin-imgresizer.tntsports.io/2025/06/05/image-3e7dc9cb-2914-4566-b681-0a9414749d9e-85-2560-1440.jpeg)
'It's not fair!' - Controversy explained as Swiatek 'was right' over umpire's call
Video credit: TNT Sports
"It was a very difficult match to predict in the first two sets, with both players playing so hard. But when it got to the third set, it was an absolute demolition job. It couldn't have been more perfect than that. The onus is more on Sabalenka because of her ball-striking and the way that she was able to dominate proceedings. It was incredible.
"Swiatek rarely loses sets on clay, let alone a 6-0 set. Some of the stats were absolutely staggering. Swiatek only won six points in that final set. In the semis of a Slam, at a set-all, on clay, on her favourite court, that's a staggering outcome. Sabalenka is such a big ball-striker on both wings. That was the biggest ingredient in that whitewash in that third set."
Stream the 2025 French Open live and on-demand on discovery+
Related Topics
Advertisement
Advertisement