Iga Swiatek: Tennis legend predicts how many French Opens the Pole could win in Rafael Nadal claim

Ewan West 23 May 2024 5:44 PM

Iga Swiatek smiling after winning 2023 French Open

Tennis great Mats Wilander has predicted that Iga Swiatek will win “at least seven or eight” French Open titles in her career if she stays healthy.

The former world No 1 also claimed Swiatek is “as big a favourite” to win the French Open this year as 14-time champion Rafael Nadal has been throughout his career at Roland Garros.

Swiatek is looking to win a fourth Roland Garros title and fifth Grand Slam crown overall at the 2024 edition of the clay-court Major.

The world No 1 is a heavy favourite to add to the French Open titles she won in 2020, 2022 and 2023 as she arrives in Paris in superb form.

The 22-year-old Pole is on a 12-match winning streak after winning the back-to-back WTA 1000 clay tournaments in Madrid and Rome. Swiatek defeated world No 2 and two-time Australian Open winner Aryna Sabalenka in the finals at both events.

Wilander, a seven-time Grand Slam champion, finds it difficult to see Swiatek losing on her favourite surface.

“I think that with Iga Swiatek, I am more impressed the more I see her play,” the Swede told Eurosport.

“Some days, some matches, you can see that she has certain limitations, but it has to be conditions that are terrible for her, and there are very few tournaments that are completely terrible for her. There are very, very few players that are terrible for her.

“So I think that the confidence that she’s growing, winning all these clay court tournaments and taking one, two, three steps away from Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina and all the other women that are behind, I think that’s going to really help her on other surfaces.

“So to beat Iga on clay, because it’s a women’s tournament and it’s two out of three sets, yes, she could run into Aryna Sabalenka, who will have an unbelievable one hour of tennis and suddenly Iga is down a set and maybe a break, 4-2 and now you’re 10 minutes away from losing, even though you’re not playing bad.

“But there is a very, very, very small chance that that’s going to happen.”

The three-time French Open champion added: “I think Iga is as big a favourite this year as Rafa has been over all these years.

“He’s been the favourite and he’s won 14. Iga I think is going to win at least seven or eight Roland Garros if she stays healthy.”