The Queen of Clay has been backed to smash more records after securing a fourth French Open crown with a final destruction.
Iga Swiatek has been compared to Rafael Nadal and her demolition of Jasmine Paolini in a one-sided final that lasted only 68 minutes - 6-2 6-1 - will only further those calls.
The Polish World No.1 has now won three successive titles at Roland Garros, following in the footsteps of legends Monica Seles (1990-92) and Justine Henin (2007-09). The 23-year-old is also the youngest women to ever win four titles in Paris and has Chris Evert's women's singles record of seven titles in her sights.
King of Clay Nadal has 14 French Open triumphs to his name and may well have played his last match here. And while Swiatek still has some way to go to get there, time is on her side, and she once again proved that she too is Roland Garros royalty.
Swiatek is undefeated in Paris since 2021, 21 matches ago, and has won 34 of her 36 matches here, a record matched only by Seles and Chris Evert.
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Eurosport analyst Boris Becker said: “Iga reminds me a bit of Rafael Nadal and I wouldn't be surprised if she reaches double figures in the titles in Paris."
In her runners-up speech, Paolini told the Pole: “To play you here is the toughest challenge in this sport.” The Italian later added: “She already has four. I think, yes, she can win three more.”
Iga Swiatek of Poland poses among ball kids with the champions trophy (Getty Images)The 2022 US Open winner Swiatek, who is now 5-0 in Grand Slam finals, saved a match point against Naomi Osaka earlier in the tournament in its best match - on both the women's and men's sides.
Osaka aside, no player took more than six games off Swiatek, who at one point had won 20 consecutive games over three matches. Evert and Martina Navratilova, with nine Roland Garros titles between them, presented the runners-up plate to Paolini and the winners’ trophy to Swiatek.
“It has been a really emotional tournament - I was almost out in the second round,” she said. “I was able to get my game better and better every match. I'm really proud of myself because the expectations and pressure have been pretty high from the outside.
"I'm happy that I just went for it and I was ready to deal with all of this and I could win.”
Alfie Hewett and Gordon Reid won the men's wheelchair doubles final for a fifth successive year by beating Japanese pairing Takuya Miki and Tokito Oda 6-1 6-4.
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