Iga Swiatek eager to face Aryna Sabalenka as Roland Garros semifinal showdown approaches - 'Our rivalry is pushing both of us'

As the 2025 Roland Garros tournament draws to an end, Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek are two of the four women left standing. The duo are slated to face each other in one of the semifinal matches, with both athletes in great form ahead of their clash on Thursday.

Sabalenka defeated China's Qinwen Zheng in her quarterfinal match, recording a 7-6(3) 6-3 victory. Conversely, Swiatek overcame a late resurgence from Ukraine's Elina Svitolina, scoring a 6-1 7-5 win to advance to the final four.

The desire to defeat the other motivates them both, admits Swiatek

Following her win over Svitolina, the Polish star expressed confidence in her game after dropping a horrid opening set against Elena Rybakina in the previous round. However, Swiatek looked to be in good form against Svitolina, employing her experience in high-pressure situations to defeat the 13th seed.

With Sabalenka waiting in the wings, the defending champion admitted her battles against the Belarusian and other top players helped push her to becoming a better player.

"For sure, you need to be 100% and you need to be there," said Swiatek. "But I wouldn't say it's different against Coco (Gauff) or against good players overall, against the top 5.
"I don't know if she elevates my game. Against every player we play different ways so it's hard to compare. But fore sure, our rivalry is pushing both of us, I think.
"But it's not only about the level of tennis, it's about everything, how we work and how professional we are."