Iga Swiatek ‘won’t win French Open next year’, predicts former world No 1 as Novak Djokovic also snubbed
Iga Swiatek won’t win a fourth consecutive French Open title in 2025 with former world No 1 Dinara Safina predicting the Pole won’t win any Grand Slams next year.
Five-time major champion Swiatek has dominated at Roland Garros the past few years as she has won the title three years in a row while she also lifted the Coupe Suzanne Lenglen in 2019.
Although the Pole has a 35–2 career record at the clay-court Grand Slam, Safina doesn’t think she will be successful at the French Open – or any other Slam – next year.
24-time Grand Slam winner Novak Djokovic was also overlooked for the majors following his unsuccessful 2024 season. After winning the Australian Open, French Open and US Open last year, Djokovic failed to add to his major tally this campaign.
Three-time major finalist Safina was asked for her predictions for the 2025 season and she backed Jannik Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka to successfully defend their Australian Open titles while Roland Garros will have two first-time major Slam winners in Alexander Zverev and Karolina Muchova.
“Australia – Sinner and Sabalenka. Roland Garros – Zverev and, let’s say, Muchova. I don’t think Swiatek will win a Slam on clay next year,” the Russian told Championat.
Zverev finished runner-up to Alcaraz at the 2024 French Open while Muchova lost the 2023 final against Swiatek.
As for Wimbledon, Alcaraz is backed to defend his title and win three in a row at the All England Club while Daniil Medvedev could also spring a surprise. Elena Rybakina, who won at SW19 in 2022, will win a second major.
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Safina added: “Wimbledon – Alcaraz or Daniil Medvedev for men, Rybakina for women. US Open – for men Medvedev or Rublev, women Sabalenka again.”
Sinner is the reigning US Open champion after he defeated Taylor Fritz in this year’s final, but Medvedev or Andrey Rublev will be champion, according to Safina, while Sabalenka is backed to defend her title at Flushing Meadows.
Medvedev won the US Open in 2021 while he also finished runner-up in 2019 and 2023. Rublev, meanwhile, is yet to get past the quarter-final of the Grand Slam.
Safina also discussed Sinner’s rise following his incredible 2024 season that saw him win eight titles, including two Grand Slams and the ATP Finals.
“The most important factor that he started the season with a victory in Australia,” she said. “If he hadn’t won, he wouldn’t have got such a charge of confidence, because Daniil was very close to winning.
“Now Jannik is the leader, he plays incredible. It’s very interesting to watch Sinner. It’s even hard to tell me what he needs to add, he’s fine.”
