Iga Swiatek’s French Open Scheduling Controversy and Serena Williams Comparison
Iga Swiatek, the four-time French Open champion, faced a controversial comment from Naomi Osaka’s coach, Patrick Mouratoglou, who downplayed her superstar status compared to Serena Williams amid a scheduling dispute at the 2025 French Open. As reported by Express.co.uk, Mouratoglou argued that Swiatek, despite her dominance with a 40-2 (95.2%) win record at Roland Garros, isn’t a “superstar” like Williams, whose 2013 night-session match justified its slot due to her global draw. He claimed women’s matches, capped at three sets, risk disappointing night-session ticket holders expecting longer contests, suggesting afternoon slots offer better exposure for players like Swiatek, Coco Gauff, and Aryna Sabalenka. This sparked backlash, with Ons Jabeur calling out the French Tennis Federation for prioritizing men’s matches, a sentiment echoed by Serena Williams’ advocacy for gender equality in tennis scheduling.
Swiatek, ranked world No. 5, advanced to the 2025 French Open semi-finals with a 6-1, 7-5 victory over Elina Svitolina, matching Serena Williams’ 26-match Grand Slam win streak record from 2012-2015. Despite her clay-court prowess, Swiatek’s 2025 season has been turbulent, with no titles since her 2024 Roland Garros win and early exits in Madrid and Rome. The scheduling controversy, combined with Mouratoglou’s remarks, has intensified scrutiny on Swiatek’s standing, though her 49-20 (71%) record against top-10 players, surpassing Williams’ 70.9%, underscores her elite status. Meanwhile, Littler’s debut at the Nordic Darts Masters and Sherrock’s health-related break highlight contrasting pressures in sports stardom.
