French Open 2023: Iga Swiatek drops trophy lid but not losing grip on women’s tennis

Iga Swiatek, the world number one, continues to assert her dominance in women’s tennis, maintaining a firm grip on the sport as she clinched another commanding victory at Roland Garros. Although she momentarily lost control of the French Open trophy lid, it was evident that Swiatek has no intention of relinquishing her position at the top.

The 22-year-old Polish tennis sensation secured her third title in four years at the clay-court Grand Slam, battling hard to emerge triumphant with a 6-2, 5-7, 6-4 victory over Czech opponent Karolina Muchova on Saturday.

While the match didn’t unfold exactly as planned for Swiatek, who initially led 6-2, 3-0 before Muchova mounted a remarkable comeback, the world number one showcased her composure when it mattered most. She rallied and won the final three games, even coming back from a break down in the decisive set.

Amid the post-match celebrations, another moment of panic ensued when the lid of the Coupe Suzanne Lenglen flew off as Swiatek enthusiastically shook it in jubilation. Sporting a smile, the four-time major champion explained, “I honestly felt like I was holding it with my finger, so I guess all the emotions caused that.”

Apologizing for the incident while addressing the trophy during her news conference, Swiatek reassured everyone, saying, “I’m glad the trophy is fine, and it won’t happen again—probably. I just hope I’ll have a chance to hold it again in future years.”

Considering her recent dominance on the Paris clay, it seems highly likely that Swiatek will have numerous opportunities to lift the trophy again. Over the past 15 months, she has been the standout player on the WTA Tour, taking over the world number one ranking from Ashleigh Barty and holding it for an impressive 62 consecutive weeks.

This season, Swiatek faced strong competition from the likes of Belarus’ Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka and Kazakhstan’s Wimbledon winner Elena Rybakina. The trio, collectively referred to as the emerging “big three” of the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA), have won the last five majors and have been leading the tour. However, Swiatek remains focused on her own game, stating, “I’m focused on myself, and I don’t care about the other two players.”

Clay courts are where Swiatek particularly shines, and she appeared to be on course for a straightforward victory in her third Roland Garros final. After taking the first set and establishing a break, she encountered unexpected resistance from the 43rd-ranked Muchova, who transformed the final into a fiercely contested match.

In the deciding set, Swiatek displayed her resolve after falling behind at 4-3, ultimately triumphing. Reflecting on her performance, she remarked, “After so many ups and downs, I kind of stopped thinking about the score. I wanted to use my intuition more because I knew that I can play a little bit better if I’m going to get a little bit more loosened up. It helped, for sure, in the third set.”

At just 22 years old, Swiatek became the youngest woman since Monica Seles in the early 1990s to win consecutive Roland Garros titles. Tournament director Amelie Mauresmo expressed confidence in Swiatek’s future, predicting that she will win “many more titles” and not ruling out the possibility of the Polish player matching Rafael Nadal’s record of 14 titles.

Swiatek, however, remains grounded and focused on her development as a player. She stated, “I will work day by day to play the best game possible and to develop as a player. I’m not setting any crazy records or goals for myself. I know that keeping it cool is the best way to do it for me. I’m trying more to do that.”