The court of Philippe Chatrier witnessed not only an intense clash but an emotional one too yesterday. After all, it was a battle between the current and the former WTA World No. 1 players. Therefore, the stakes were high, and the sheer drama of the match broke down even the fourth title winner of this season, Iga Swiatek. Although she claimed her victory at the end, the latest video on social media showcased the emotional side of one of the strongest WTA players of this season.

The scoreboard of the second round at the French Open displayed only one part of the story. It suggests that Iga Swiatek took over the Japanese tennis pro, Naomi Osaka, in under three hours with a score of 7-6 (1), 1-6, 7-5. However, the match was more than that. It was a rollercoaster ride that swung widely between the possibilities of a win on either side. Especially, the second set, which displayed one of the toughest ones played in that match. Naturally, after the closely-fought match, not only Osaka but Swiatek too broke down into tears. 

While Osaka previously admitted, “I cried when I got off the court,” the latest clip on X has surfaced, which shows the same reaction from Swiatek as well. The 22-year-old, who now has a lead over Naomi Osaka, was captured crying on a bench while lying down. As she covered her face with her hands and tried to hold back her tears, it was clear that the match was one of the most intense matches played by her this season.

Swiatek herself admitted later on, “It’s much more intense for the second round than I ever expected.” Swiatek and Osaka’s encounters have always been a mix of excitement and emotion. The first time Osaka met Swiatek in Toronto back in 2019, she narrowly fought off an 18-year-old Swiatek. However, after three of those events, Swiatek avenged herself in Miami, winning her first match against Osaka. Fast forward to two years later, and they met for the third time on-court. 

This time both had their ‘A’ game on-court once again, and it showed. Osaka, who had previously struggled against her first-round opponent, showed no intention of backing off even in the deciding set when she stood one point from victory (5-3) against Swiatek. Eventually, Swiatek, who equals Osaka’s grand slam count (4) prevailed as she slowly turned the match around. Osaka, on the other hand, ranked No. 134, had to step away from her dream of winning a French Open title. However, Osaka fulfilled one of her dreams on-court yesterday.

Naomi Osaka reveals her “dream” of playing against Iga Swiatek 

Although Naomi Osaka’s comeback match after her maternity leave ended with a heartbreak in the French Open, it surely brought one of her best performances on-court. Referring to the progress that she made over the months, the 26-year-old player shared her thoughts after the match. “I kind of realised I was watching Iga win this tournament last year, and I was pregnant.” Off the court, both share a friendship where each of them appreciates the other’s performance. 

Be it Osaka congratulating Swiatek after she won her first title in the French Open or Swiatek appreciating Osaka for her improvement after her hiatus, both have frequently displayed their support for each other. However, on- court, they are fierce rivals.

Therefore, addressing her opponent, she said, “It was just my dream to be able to play her. When I kind of think of it like that, I think I’m doing pretty well. And I’m also just trying not to be too hard on myself. I feel like I played her on her better surface. I’m a hard-court kid, so I would love to play her on my surface and see what happens.”

While Iga Swiatek and Naomi Osaka continue their rivalry on-court, it will be interesting to watch more of their closely fought battles as the season proceeds.