Sabalenka

World number one Aryna Sabalenka moved a step closer to a maiden French Open title by taking out four-time champion Iga Swiatek in a blockbuster semi-final.

Sabalenka will meet second seed Coco Gauff in Saturday’s showpiece after the American ruthlessly ended French wildcard Lois Boisson’s incredible run.

Belarus’ Sabalenka earned a 7-6 (7-1) 4-6 6-0 victory to end fifth seed Swiatek’s 26-match winning run at the tournament.

After a slow start on the Roland Garros clay, Poland’s Swiatek fought back to level but Sabalenka dominated a 22-minute deciding set.

Sabalenka, whose three Grand Slam titles have all come on hard courts, has never reached the Paris final before.

“It feels incredible but the job is not done yet. I’m thrilled with my performance,” the 27-year-old said.

“Iga is the toughest opponent, especially at Roland Garros, I’m proud I managed to get this win.”

Gauff, runner-up to Swiatek in 2022, won 6-1 6-2 against world number 361 Boisson, who was appearing in her first Grand Slam main draw.

World number one Aryna Sabalenka edged a tight encounter against Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen to reach the French Open semi-finals.

Sabalenka, bidding for a first Paris title, won 7-6 (7-3) 6-3 against China’s Zheng on a blustery Court Phillippe Chatrier.

The Belarusian – arguably the favourite for the title – had to come back from a break down in the first set but showed all her fighting quality to advance.

“That was a true battle – I have no idea how I was able to get back into that first set,” Sabalenka said.

“I was ready to leave everything I have on court to win.”

Sabalenka has yet to drop a set at Roland Garros, with her improved serve and movement reaping rewards.

A potential mouth-watering meeting with three-time defending champion Iga Swiatek could await if the Pole beats Elina Svitolina in the second semi-final.

World number one Aryna Sabalenka dropped only one game as she beat Kamilla Rakhimova to get her French Open campaign under way in emphatic style.

Sabalenka needed just one hour to beat Russian opponent Rakhimova 6-1 6-0 in Paris.

The Belarusian ramped up her performance as the match went on, winning nine games in a row to close out the match.

Opening up the first day’s play on Court Philippe Chatrier, Sabalenka served up five aces, hit 30 winners and broke her opponent’s serve five times on her way to a comfortable victory under the roof.

A three-time Grand Slam singles champion, Sabalenka has never reached the final of the French Open before – her best performance a semi-final run in 2023.

But on this evidence, the 27-year-old is justifying her tag as one of the tournament favourites.

She could face Chinese eighth seed Zheng Qinwen – who she beat in the 2024 Australian Open final – in the quarters and three-time defending champion Iga Swiatek in the semis.

Before that, Sabalenka will play Switzerland’s Jil Teichmann or Italian qualifier Lucrezia Stefanini for a spot in the last 32.