Paris's other Iron Lady lifts fourth Coup Suzanne Lenglen

IG4 SWIATEK 🏆🇵🇱

En remportant un quatrième titre à Paris face à Jasmine Paolini, la N°1 mondiale écrit un peu plus sa légende à Roland-Garros ! #RolandGarros

— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) June 8, 2024

In Paris, La Tour Eiffel is sometimes called La dame de fer, but the famous tower may now have to share its nickname with one Iga Swiatek of Poland, aka four-time French Open champion. Today, the world number 1, who came to Paris as the two-time defending champion, defeated Italy's Jasmine Paolini 6-2, 6-1 to claim her fourth French Open title.

It wasn't an entirely smooth run for Swiatek, who was taken to the very edge by Naomi Osaka in the second round. Swiatek went down 0-3, then 2-5, in the third set, and had to save a match point. But, aside from that very close call, the world number 1 had a pretty easy time of it. Paolini, who has finally come into her own as a true Fighting Italian, was no match for Swiatek, though--at the start of the match--she showed much of the talent that got her to the final.

Martina Navratilova was asked to present the trophies, but since it was the 50th anniversary of Chris Evert's first victory at Roland Garros, Navratilova asked her dear friend to do the presentation with her. Surely both Swiatek and Paolini felt the power of their presence--I did, just watching the ceremony on television.

Iga Swiatek's last words with the mic in hand:

Wishing Jasmine Paolini good luck in the doubles final tomorrow.

📸 Getty Images pic.twitter.com/e2xkUUoB2l

— The Tennis Podcast (@TennisPodcast) June 8, 2024

Paolini's work isn't done--tomorrow, she and partner Sara Errani (the 2012 singles runner-up) compete for the doubles title.

photo by Diane Elayne Dees

Swiatek's first French Open title (her first WTA title of any kind) came in 2020, when the event was moved to the fall because of Covid issues. That year, 20-year-old Swiatek defeated 2020 Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin in the final. The next year, the Polish star lost to Maria Sakkari in the quarterfinals. Barbora Krejcikova--the only non-big hitter on the tour (though she has a very good serve) who has been able to beat Swiatek in big matches--defeated Sakkari in the semifinals and went on to win the tournament.

In 2022, Swiatek defeated Coco Gauff in the final, and in 2023, she defeated Karolina Muchova. Muchova, who was unable to compete this year, is the only player to take a set off of Swiatek in a French Open final.

In other French Open news, wheelchair top seed and three-time defending champion Diede de Groot won her fifth French Open singles title today when she defeated Zhenzhen Zhu 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 in the final. de Groot and partner Aniek Van Koot, the 2nd seeds, won the doubles title when they defeated top seeds Yui Kamiji and Kgothatso Montjane 6-7, 7-6, 10-4. This is the team's sixth French Open title.