She made a slow start and it looked set to be another comfortable ride in a slam final for Swiatek but from 3-0 in the second set the momentum shifted. Muchova, a 26-year-old ranked 43, produced the performance of her life to beat second seed Aryna Sabalenka in the semi-finals, saving a match point and fighting back from 5-2 down in the deciding set. Swiatek equals Osaka and Monica Seles, meanwhile, as the only women in the open era to win each of their first four slam finals. Swiatek is the first woman since Justine Henin in 2007 to successfully defend her title on the Paris clay and joins Naomi Osaka on four grand slam titles – veteran Venus Williams with seven is the only active player to hold more. I guess I’m never going to doubt my strength again.” “I’m happy that I finished the whole clay court swing so well and that I kind of survived. “This one, for sure, it was a little bit tougher in terms of injuries and the pressure, and also coming back to this tournament as a defending champion. I’m happy and really proud of myself that I did it. So I’m pretty happy that at the end I could be solid in those few last games and finish it. But the match was really intense, a lot of ups and downs. “I’m feeling all these different emotions right now,” said Swiatek. Muchova twice led by a break in that but Swiatek refused to be beaten, eventually prevailing 6-2 5-7 6-4 after two hours and 46 minutes and crouching down on the clay in tears. The 22-year-old Pole cemented her status as the best female player in the world, particularly on clay, with her third title in four years at Roland Garros.īut this was by some distance the hardest of her grand slam finals, with unseeded Czech Muchova battling back from a set and 3-0 down to force a decider. Iga Swiatek gained new-found belief in her own strength after coming through an intense struggle to beat Karolina Muchova and complete her French Open hat-trick. ![]() As well as being an exceptional athlete and an engaging women, she represents the necessity of tolerance and modernity. Maracineanu said: "I salute the arrival of Amelie Mauresmo at the head of the most beautiful tennis tournament in the world. ![]() Tennis great Billie Jean King sent a message of congratulations, and French sports minister Roxana Maracineanu welcomed the appointment. Mauresmo, who retired from playing in 2009, has also served as France's Fed Cup captain. We are going to try and make it even better!" The event is already fantastic, extraordinary. "This gives me a certain responsibility and a fierce ambition to push Roland Garros even further. I don't know if anyone has seen the tournament from more angles than I have. I have coached various players, been a television pundit, a spectator and a television viewer, too. And, after my career, I saw a different side to the event. "My career here featured many ups and downs, in part due to all those emotions I experienced when I was younger. I qualified at age 15, I won the junior tournament. It was my playground! This site is still very dear to me, even though the stadium has changed a lot. "I stayed here in the National Training Centre when I was younger, I played in the grounds. I started dreaming about tennis thanks to Roland Garros! At age four, I sat in front of the television and decided I wanted to become a tennis player, thanks to 'Roland'. Mauresmo said she was "very proud" and explained: "This tournament created a vocation within me. She and Pouille parted company in October of last year. She steps into the role after spending several years working successfully as a coach, having helped players including Marion Bartoli, Andy Murray and Lucas Pouille. The 42-year-old aspires to make a greater impact on the Paris tournament during her time in charge, having been appointed to serve until 2024. She captured the junior title in 1996 but appearances in the 20 quarter-finals were her best performances as a professional. Mauresmo enjoyed 39 weeks at number one in the world at the height of her career but struggled to stamp a mark at her home grand slam. ![]() Amelie Mauresmo has become the first woman to be appointed tournament director at the French Open, promising to show "fierce ambition" in the role.įormer Wimbledon and Australian Open champion Mauresmo succeeds fellow former tour professional Guy Forget in the top job at Roland Garros.
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