Swiatek says not unbeatable at French Open after winning start

Paris: Iga Swiatek said last year s Olympic loss proved she is not unbeatable at Roland Garros, as she launched her bid for a fourth straight title Mo...

Paris: Iga Swiatek said last year's Olympic loss proved she is not unbeatable at Roland Garros, as she launched her bid for a fourth straight title Monday with a 6-3, 6-3 win over Slovakia's Rebecca Sramkova.

Swiatek extended her winning run at the French Open to 22 matches, but she has dropped to fifth in the world after a year-long trophy drought and has looked unusually vulnerable on clay lately.

The 23-year-old has yet to reach a final this season and is no longer the overwhelming favourite at a tournament she has dominated since capturing the trophy for the first time as a teenager in 2020.

Asked whether stepping onto the main Phillipe Chatrier court filled her the same sense of invincibility as it did for Rafael Nadal, Swiatek pointed to her straight-sets defeat by Zheng Qinwen at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

"No, I mean, I literally lost a match in the Olympics, so it's not like you can't lose," she said.