Iga Swiatek is using her Rome campaign as the perfect springboard for Roland Garros, but the world number one knows she still has work to do after a gritty three-set battle with Caty McNally on Friday.
The Polish star, still regaining full fitness after illness forced her to withdraw from Madrid, showed both grit and class to edge past the American 6-1, 6-7, 6-3 in a match that tested every part of her game.
It’s been an uncharacteristically slow start to the season for the three-time Rome champion. No semifinals yet, and still hunting for her first title of the year. But with the French Open just around the corner, Swiatek is treating every point in Italy as a building block.
“It’s something that I feel like I’m lacking,” Swiatek admitted when asked about her form heading into Roland Garros. “I want to play more. There are some moments on the match where you can see I’m a little bit rusty with playing points. I think I need more matches to gain some confidence in different situations. I’m happy that I won this one today ’cause it gives me another chance.”
This was only her fifth clay-court match of the season across three tournaments, so every minute on court is invaluable. The conditions in Rome didn’t make it easy either—heavy, slow balls that forced long rallies and demanded patience.
“The ball was flying slow, so we had many long rallies, many moments where you could create a lot on the court,” Swiatek explained. “I was really happy with the first set, then I made some mistakes. Also, Caty, I felt like she was playing one more ball in, really grinding in defense. I needed to be patient. I’m happy at the end of the match, I was solid, and I used the right balls to attack, but was also patient enough to stay in the rally.”
As a three-time former champion in Rome and the fourth seed this year, Swiatek knows exactly what it takes to win here. For tennis fans watching her journey, every match is a glimpse of a champion rebuilding her rhythm—and her confidence—just in time for the biggest clay-court event of the year.