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French Open: Why 'aggressive' Iga Swiatek is now 'more than ready' ahead of Aryna Sabalenka semi-final showdown at Roland-Garros

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Iga Swiatek and Aryna Sabalenka will meet in a blockbuster French Open semi-final on Thursday, live on TNT Sports and discovery+. TNT Sports expert Alex Corretja says Swiatek is playing "more aggressive than before" and boosted her belief with a fourth-round win over Elena Rybakina. Corretja also thinks Sabalenka's footwork has "improved a lot" to help her game.

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Alex Corretja says Iga Swiatek is now "more than ready" for a tilt at another French Open title following a belief-building run in Paris.

Four-time champion Swiatek came into the Grand Slam with doubts over her form, having not won a title in a year.

But she has dropped just one set on her way to the semi-finals and impressively recovered to beat 12th seed Elena Rybakina in the fourth round.

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Swiatek has now won 26 straight matches at Roland-Garros and is the second-fastest player to claim 40 singles wins at the tournament, behind only Rafael Nadal (42 matches v 41).

"She moves extremely well and I believe now she is more aggressive than before," said TNT Sports expert Corretja about Swiatek, ahead of her highly anticipated semi-final against world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka on Thursday.

"She has been having a transition time in the last few months, and after she beat Rybakina, she is more than ready. She needed this kind of match to believe a bit more in herself.

"On Tuesday, it was so difficult for Elina Svitolina because she didn’t have any weapons to hurt her."

Swiatek came into the French Open having not won a clay title beforehand for the first time since 2020.

She also suffered a heavy defeat to Coco Gauff in the Madrid Open semi-finals and was beaten in straight sets by Danielle Collins in Rome.

"I don’t think any of us were that sure [about her form]," said TNT Sports expert Tim Henman.

"She has set the bar so high, she has been world No. 1, she has won here four times, but the last time she won a title was here last year.

"It has been a lot more inconsistent, and she has lost a couple of bad matches. Losing 6-1 6-1 to Coco Gauff in Madrid, that would have been unheard of before.

"But that is behind her, and this is what is about now. She is playing great tennis and will be very difficult to beat.

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"She gets so much more confidence when she returns to Court Philippe-Chatrier."

Thursday’s meeting between Swiatek and Sabalenka will be the first time they have faced off at a Grand Slam since the 2022 US Open semi-finals.

Swiatek won that meeting in three sets but Sabalenka is yet to drop a set on her way to the semis and has said she feels "stronger than ever".

"Her footwork has improved a lot," said Corretja about the world No. 1.

"Now she can hit the ball but also defend, whereas before she was just going for it.

"If you move well, you can get behind the ball and really hit it. If you don’t move well, you are chasing the ball. She is learning how to slide on clay, which is really important."

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