Tennis legend Chris Evert has voiced her concerns over Iga Swiatek’s form as she named her four favourites to win the women’s singles title at the 2025 French Open.
Swiatek has been the dominant WTA player on clay this decade, having claimed the Roland Garros crown in four of the last five years and at each of the previous three editions.
However, Swiatek has not reached a final at any tournament since her victory at the 2024 French Open.
The world No 2 was badly out of sorts in a shock 6-1, 7-5 defeat to Danielle Collins in the third round of the Italian Open — where she was the reigning champion.
Swiatek’s latest alarming defeat came after she was dismantled 6-1, 6-1 by Coco Gauff in the semi-finals of the Madrid Open.
The Polish star’s clay campaign began at the WTA 500 in Stuttgart, where she was upset by Jelena Ostapenko in the quarter-finals — her sixth loss in as many meetings with the Latvian.
Evert, who won a record seven French Open women’s titles, revealed she cannot choose between the leading contenders for the Paris Grand Slam.
“I don’t know how you can pick anybody between [Aryna] Sabalenka, Iga and Coco, and with Madison Keys really to me would be my fourth pick,” the 18-time major winner told Forbes.
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“I just don’t know how Iga is going to react. That, to me, is the unknown.
“We know what she is capable of, and with her past records, she’s brilliant at the French Open, but I just don’t know if she can find her A game, because she’s going to need it. It’s kind of like we’re seeing her C game right now.”
Evert has previously revealed she expects Swiatek to break her Roland Garros title record.
“I’m worried about it every day. When I put my head under the pillow I’m worried about Iga,” the American said.
“I think Iga will end up on double digits. I don’t just think she will beat my record here. I think it’s double digits.”
The only active WTA players to win the Roland Garros title are Swiatek, Ostapenko and Barbora Krejcikova.
Gauff was a French Open runner-up in 2022, Aryna Sabalenka’s best result is reaching the semi-finals in 2023.
Australian Open champion Madison Keys was a semi-finalist at Roland Garros in 2018.
