Swiatek sends strong French Open warning with dominant Rome display

Four-time French Open winner Iga Swiatek continued her impressive resurgence on clay by storming into the Italian Open semi-finals with a commanding straight-set victory over American fifth seed Jessica Pegula, Sport360NG reports. 

The Polish star needed just over an hour to secure a convincing 6-1, 6-2 triumph in Rome on Wednesday, producing another dominant performance after surrendering only three games against Naomi Osaka in the previous round.

Swiatek’s latest display offered further evidence that she is rediscovering the form that established her as one of the most feared players on clay. The 24-year-old recently brought in former Rafael Nadal coach Francisco Roig and has also been working closely with the 22-time Grand Slam champion during practice sessions.

The world number four believes the adjustments made in recent weeks are beginning to pay off.

“The work we’ve done over the last few weeks has really helped and I feel much more confident with my shots,” Swiatek said after the match.

Nicknamed the “Queen of Clay” following her dominance at Roland Garros, Swiatek captured four French Open titles between 2020 and 2024 while also collecting six WTA titles on the surface.

However, last season marked a rare dip in her clay-court dominance as she failed to win a tournament on the surface before exiting in the semi-finals in Paris.

Under former coach Wim Fissette, Swiatek attempted to adopt a more aggressive baseline style, but the changes appeared to disrupt her rhythm and confidence when matches became difficult.

Since linking up with Roig, who briefly worked with Britain’s Emma Raducanu, Swiatek has reverted to a more disciplined and controlled approach that has restored stability to her game.

Against Pegula, she combined relentless intensity with consistency from the baseline, patiently constructing points and forcing errors from the 2024 US Open finalist.

Although Pegula struggled on a surface that has never been her strongest, Swiatek’s refusal to allow her level to drop highlighted her growing confidence ahead of the French Open.

Her aggressive returning, particularly on Pegula’s second serve, proved especially effective throughout the contest.

A tougher test could await in the semi-finals, where either Elena Rybakina or Elina Svitolina will stand in her way.

But based on her performances in Rome so far, Swiatek is once again looking every bit the player to beat on clay as Roland Garros approaches.