When Swiatek does that, she tends to win. Her record in Paris is already remarkable and she is still only 23. Should she win today, it will be her fourth Roland-Garros crown in five years, a stat that prompts many pundits to liken her to Rafael Nadal. As a Rafa fan, that tickles her.
“He’s a total legend,” she said. “But I’m proud of myself that I’m playing consistently here and that I’m mentioned in the same sentence as Rafa. That’s cool.”
In much the same way, Paolini is quietly proud that she is now standing alongside Swiatek on Court Philippe-Chatrier in front of the Coupe Suzanne Lenglen. “I have huge respect for Iga,” she said, “but my goal is to step on court and try to enjoy the match and to enjoy that moment and to try to play a good match. To step on court and to believe that you can win, it’s a totally different way to see the match.”
Now aged 28, Paolini has taken her time to develop into a top-20 player. In years past, she would face the elite women and have no answer to their tactics and experience. But then she began to stand her ground and the closer she got to the big names, the more she believed that she could beat them. It sounds simple but it is anything but easy.