The French Open, held annually at Roland Garros, is a Grand Slam tournament steeped in history and prestige. As the 2025 edition unfolds, all eyes are on the defending champions, Iga Swiatek and Carlos Alcaraz. However, history whispers a cautionary tale, reminding us that defending a title at Roland Garros is no easy feat. Both Swiatek and Alcaraz are aiming to avoid joining the unwanted “Roland Garros club” of champions who suffered shocking early exits.
The Ghost of Upset Past: Roland Garros’s Opening Round Shocks
Over the years, several defending champions have experienced the harsh reality of an unexpected first-round defeat at Roland Garros. This “curse of the champion” adds an extra layer of pressure and intrigue to the tournament.
Three notable examples from the Open Era include:
Anastasia Myskina (2005): The first Russian woman to win a Grand Slam singles title, Myskina suffered a crushing defeat in the first round against world No. 109, Maria Sanchez Lorenzo.
Jelena Ostapenko (2018): Ostapenko’s title defense was cut short by Ukraine’s Kateryna Kozlova, who secured her first Top 10 win of her career.
Barbora Krejcikova (2022): Krejcikova, the defending champion, experienced a surprising loss to Diane Parry.
These upsets serve as stark reminders that past success offers no guarantees, and any player can be vulnerable on any given day.
Iga Swiatek: Chasing History, Battling Form Slump
Iga Swiatek, the Polish star, has dominated Roland Garros in recent years. With four French Open titles between 2020 and 2024, her clay-court prowess is undeniable. After defeating Jasmine Paolini in last year’s final, Swiatek became only the third woman in the Open Era to win three consecutive Roland Garros titles. She is now aiming to become the first woman to win four consecutive French Open titles.
The Pressure of Perfection
However, Swiatek faces unique challenges this year. For the first time since 2020, she arrives at Roland Garros without winning a WTA tournament in the first five months of the season. This has led to a drop in the WTA rankings, with Swiatek currently sitting at No. 5.
Adding to the pressure, Swiatek has acknowledged struggling with perfectionism. She admitted that she had been over-focusing on mistakes, but believes a shift in attitude could be the key to extending her dominance on Parisian clay.
Swiatek’s Clay Court Dominance: By the Numbers
Despite recent setbacks, Swiatek’s record at Roland Garros remains remarkable:
- 21 consecutive victories
- 35 wins in her 37 career matches
- No defeats since 2021
These statistics highlight her exceptional ability on clay and her deep sense of familiarity with the court. She has been practicing and working out at Roland Garros for a solid week, preparing to defend her title. In six appearances, she’s compiled a sterling 35-2 record and won four titles. Her idol, Rafael Nadal, posted eerily similar numbers in his first six outings in Paris — 38-1 with five titles. No one, least of all Swiatek, would suggest she’s on the path to Nadal’s 14 titles at Roland Garros — the most of any player at any Grand Slam, but this comparison early in the curve underlines just how terrific Swiatek has been.
The Ostapenko Hex
Adding a layer of intrigue to Swiatek’s journey is her unfavorable head-to-head record against Jelena Ostapenko. Ostapenko has won all six of their matches, including a recent victory in the Stuttgart quarter-finals. Swiatek has encountered trouble against aggressive ball-strikers, too, so that adds further weight to the explanation. You also wonder whether there is a mental block against an opponent who a player knows has their number.
Carlos Alcaraz: Defending Champion in a New Era
Carlos Alcaraz, the young Spanish sensation, is also under pressure to defend his Roland Garros title. Last year, Alcaraz defeated Alexander Zverev in a thrilling five-set final to claim his first French Open title. This victory made him the youngest man to earn a major trophy on all three surfaces (clay, hard, and grass).
A Rising Star
Alcaraz’s rise to the top has been meteoric. In 2022, he became the youngest and first teenage World No. 1 in ATP history at age 19. He has already won four Grand Slam titles.
Sinner Rivalry
Alcaraz’s main rival for the title is likely to be Jannik Sinner. If Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz are to renew their rivalry at Roland Garros, it will not come until the final, setting the stage for a potential epic showdown on championship Sunday.
Last year, Alcaraz defeated Sinner in the Roland Garros semi-finals en route to becoming the youngest man to earn a major trophy on all three surfaces. To clinch the title, the Spaniard won a five-set final against Alexander Zverev. Alcaraz and Sinner’s latest chapter in their thrilling rivalry came on Sunday at the ATP Masters 1000 event in Rome.
Alcaraz’s Mark on Roland Garros
Carlos Alcaraz will never forget Roland-Garros 2024. All sorts of records and stats have fallen in his favour as the youngest man to win three Grand Slams on the sport’s three different surfaces. Just in case the 21-year-old’s memories fade, he’s getting the Eiffel Tower tattooed onto his left ankle along with Sunday’s date, the day he completed a childhood dream on the terre battue of Court Philippe-Chatrier.
Zverev described Alcaraz as “a beast. He’s an animal. The intensity he plays tennis at is different to other people.” That beast has now won 11 of his 12 Grand Slam matches that have gone to five sets.
The Road Ahead: Can They Defy the Odds?
As the 2025 French Open unfolds, the pressure is on Iga Swiatek and Carlos Alcaraz to avoid the pitfalls that have plagued past champions. Swiatek aims to rediscover her dominant form and overcome her struggles with perfectionism, while Alcaraz seeks to continue his rise and solidify his status as a top player.
Whether they can defy the odds and retain their titles remains to be seen, but one thing is certain: their journey will be filled with challenges, surprises, and intense competition. Tennis fans around the world eagerly await the unfolding drama on the clay courts of Roland Garros.
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