Swiatek Saves Match Point to Beat Osaka in French Open Thriller

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Defending champion Iga Swiatek narrowly avoided her earliest French Open exit by saving a match point to defeat Naomi Osaka in a thrilling second-round match in Paris. The 22-year-old Polish star fought back to win 7-6 (7-1), 1-6, 7-5 under the roof of Court Philippe Chatrier.

Swiatek, who is aiming for her third consecutive French Open title, found herself pushed to the limit by former world number one Osaka. Despite only returning to the sport four months ago after the birth of her daughter, Osaka’s powerful and aggressive play tested Swiatek throughout the match.

“That was intense, more intense than I expected for a second-round match,” Swiatek said. “We played some amazing tennis.”

Osaka, who has struggled on clay courts in the past, showcased her formidable hard-hitting game, taking advantage of Swiatek’s vulnerabilities and almost securing a victory when she led 5-3 in the final set. However, crucial errors when serving for the match allowed Swiatek to break back and eventually serve out the win.

Swiatek’s victory means she has now lost only two of her 31 matches at Roland Garros, highlighting her dominance on clay. She remains on course to become only the third woman to win three consecutive French Open titles in the Open era, following in the footsteps of Monica Seles and Justine Henin.

In another match, eighth seed Ons Jabeur survived a scare against Colombian Camila Osorio to reach the third round. The 29-year-old Tunisian, who was a quarter-finalist last year, struggled with consistency in a match that featured 12 breaks of serve. Jabeur ultimately secured a 6-3, 1-6, 6-3 victory and will next face either Canadian 31st seed Leylah Fernandez or China’s Wang Xiyu.

Jabeur, seeking her first Grand Slam title, demonstrated resilience by holding her nerve in the deciding set after Osorio twice broke back. After breaking Osorio again in the eighth game, Jabeur served out the win, celebrating with visible relief after a challenging match.