An Iga Dynasty in Paris?

By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Friday June 9, 2023

Iga Swiatek is bidding for history on many levels in Saturday’s Roland-Garros final against Karolina Muchova. She’ll go for her third Roland-Garros title in the last four years, and her fourth Slam title overall.

It may seem like the 22-year-old Polish juggernaut is setting up to be the queen of clay on the WTA Tour, but she doesn’t believe that she isn’t motivated by measuring up to Rafael Nadal’s body of work at Roland-Garros.

“I wouldn’t say that kind of motivation, it’s my style,” she said, when asked if she ever thinks of creating an “Iga Dynasty” in Paris. “I’m more of a person who just try to do her best every day and hope for the best.

“Rafa, what he did and what he’s still doing, it’s pretty amazing. I never kind of knew that it’s gonna be possible for me. So it was totally out of my reach, if I can say that. And, you know, still he played so well for so many years, I don’t know if it’s going to be possible for me.”

She may be right, but the World No.1 is blazing a path on the Parisian clay. Here are some of the milestones she will click if she can defeat Muchova on Saturday:

• Would become youngest since Monica Seles (1990, 1991, 2992) to win consecutive titles at Roland Garros.
• Would join Monica Seles and Naomi Osaka as the only women in the Open Era to win each of their first four Grand Slam finals.
• Would become youngest to win fourth Grand Slam title since Serena Williams (1999 US Open, 2002 Roland Garros, 2002 Wimbledon, 2002 US Open).
• With a win Swiatek could win her seventh clay courts title at her 16th main draw appearances improving her success rate to 43.8%. In the Open Era, only Chris Evert (68.6%), Margaret Court (52.5%) and Steffi Graf (50%) have a higher such ratio on this surface (min. 5 titles won).
• Would become youngest to win seventh clay-court title since Conchita Martinez.

Swiatek is 27-2 lifetime at Roland-Garros, but she did lose her only previous match to Muchova, way back in 2019.

The Pole is fond of the Czech’s creative game style and has often practiced with her on the tour.

“I really like her game, honestly,” she said. “I really respect her, and she’s I feel like a player who can do anything, you know. She has great touch. She can also speed up the game. She plays with that kind of, I don’t know, freedom in her movements. And she has a great technique. So I watched her matches and I feel like I know her game pretty well.

“But…