The women’s final at the French Open is set, and we are up for quite a showdown. Karolina Muchova gets her chance to stop Iga Swiatek. No one has been able to so far. Can the Czech pull it off? Our writers give their thoughts on the match. Predicting this match are Jim Smith, Nurein Ahmed, Jack Edward, Manuel Traquete, and Andreas Pelekis. Who do you think will win?
French Open Women’s Final Predictions
Iga Swiatek vs Karolina Muchova
Jim:
Muchova has had a fairytale run, one that begun with an upset (if not a hugely surprising one) of the sixth seed and continued with an astonishing comeback to beat the reigning Australian Open champion in the semifinals. After so many injury problems, it’s great to see the Czech playing so well – at her best she is a joy to watch and she is a much better player than her ranking suggests. But will she beat Swiatek? Probably not. The Pole has won two French Open titles and reached the final without dropping a set for a reason. On a clay court, and probably elsewhere too, she is simply the best in the world.
Prediction: Swiatek in 2
Nurein:
Iga Swiatek is close to invincible at the French Open, and having taken care of a couple of spirited opponents without conceding a set, she reinforces her status as the odds-on favorite to defend her crown. Karolina Muchova is playing her first Grand Slam final following her mesmeric win over second seed Aryna Sabalenka–a win that shook the city to its core. And one wonders what a win on Saturday would actually mean for the 26-year-old who left last year’s tournament in a wheelchair. It would be colossal, right up there with the biggest upsets in Grand Slam folklore. Could the weight of the occasion be too much for Muchova to handle? You suspect so. Swiatek hasn’t shown any drop in level all fortnight and it won’t come in a final.
Prediction: Swiatek in 2
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Jack:
It all comes down to this. Karolina Muchova was expected to do well at this tournament but few would have picked her to go all the way to the final. Her semifinal against Aryna Sabalenka was gutsy but it would be remiss of me not to mention both the weariness of Muchova paired with the looseness of Sabalenka. The Czech kept things awkward to stave off the threat of the Belarusian’s strikes rather than trying to match her blow for blow. Against Iga Swiatek, any sign of injury or any passiveness in play will be thoroughly punished. There were some nerves from the Pole in her semifinal but make no mistake—in a Roland Garros final, against a player that can be outhit, the world #1 will come out all guns blazing.
Prediction: Swiatek in 2
Manuel:
Muchova had an incredible run, beating the likes of Maria Sakkari in the first round and Aryna Sabalenka in the semis on the way to her first ever Grand Slam final. The bad news for her is that across the net she will find Iga Swiatek, the World #1 and defending champion. Swiatek has absolutely dominated this tournament so far, not dropping a single set and mostly not even being pushed, and she’s a huge favorite to win this tournament for a third time in four years.
Prediction: Swiatek in 2
Andreas:
Muchova’s continued her role as the giant killer this tournament, stunning Sabalenka for another Top 3 win. Remarkably, she’s never lost to a Top 3 opponent, something that stands out as she prepares to take on the best player in the world. Muchova won due to her incredible counterpunching, slicing and dicing through points, before setting up stunning winners.
Long rallies may frustrate Swiatek in this match, as the Pole prefers to shorten points and hit a plethora of winners. Similarly, Swiatek looked a little bit edgy towards the end of her win over Haddad Maia, with nerves affecting her in the second set tiebreak. She’ll have to stay focused and push through a lot of adversity, trying to win her fourth major. Overall, Muchova certainly has the game to get the win, but I feel that she’s played too much tennis and may be fatigued. If this match goes three sets, Muchova may be the favorite, but I feel like Swiatek will take this in two, and win her fourth Grand Slam.
Prediction: Swiatek in 2
Well, our writers all seem to agree how this match will go. Do you think they’re wrong? As always, feel free to share your thoughts.
Main Photo Credit: Taya Gray/The Desert Sun / USA TODAY NETWORK
