Iga Swiatek storms into French Open last 16 with dominant win, pays tribute to Rafael Nadal

Iga Swiatek reached the last 16 of the French Open on Friday after beating fellow Polish player Magda Linette with a dominant victory at Roland Garros.

The four-time champion won by 6-4, 6-4 and overcame an early 2-0 deficit to 35th-ranked Linette. She previously defeated the Pole at the Miami Open in March 2026.

Swiatek broke serve three times in the opening set at Roland Garros and established a 4-1 lead in the second.

After defeating Linette, the third-seeded Swiatek will play against Ukraine's Marta Kostyuk. This is going to be a challenging face off as Kostyuk enters the match in spectacular form by clinching a 14-match winning streak on clay, including tournament titles in both Rouen and Madrid.

Despite grappling with a minor issue, she made a major comeback and wrapped up the match in 1 hour and 25 minutes amid the scorching heat.

In a post match interview, she also paid tribute to Rafael Nadal with whom she spent time at academy.

She said, “It was really an amazing experience for me and a huge privilege. I wasn’t sure if Rafa would find time, but I am super happy he was able to come to some of my practices. It gave me a lot of motivation and extra energy before the clay court season to work even harder.”

“Just having him behind me and watching gave me so much will to play every shot possible. There were some technical tips but the most you can take from Rafa is his approach to the game and him showing that it’s not always easy.”

Swiatek and Kostyuk will compete for a spot in the Roland Garros quarterfinals on Sunday, May 31.