"Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal didn't make it too many finals either": Connors doesn't look too much into Swiatek not facing rivals at French Open
WTA
With Iga Swiatek facing criticism that she did not battle any of her top rivals en route to the 2023 French Open title, retired tennis champion Jimmy Connors has come to her defense, drawing parallels with tennis legends Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.
Swiatek dominated the competition before lifting her third title in Paris, which led many critics to state she had a favorable draw. With Elena Rybakina withdrawing in the third round due to illness and Aryna Sabalenka losing in the semifinals, Swiatek did not face any of her top rivals on her path to the title.
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Nonetheless, Connors believes it should not be held against the World No.1, stating Federer and Nadal did not always face each other in several finals.
"Ya, I'm sure the tournament would've liked that," Connors said on the 'Advantage Connors' podcast show. "The dream final between Sabalenka and Iga, the match that everybody expected and wanted to have. But like I said you can call it luck or whatever, if you go back Federer didn't make it to too many finals against Nadal. Even Djokovic and Nadal didn't make it against it too many finals either.
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"So that happens, she kinda didn't have to play those two players (Elena Rybakina and Aryna Sabalenka), who bubbled up to become the biggest rivals on tour this year."
Growing up in a household where soccer was king, my earliest memories are filled with chants from packed stadiums and the rhythm of a ball being passed across neighborhood streets. But somewhere along the way, the quiet elegance and raw emotion of tennis pulled me in. What began as a curiosity became a lifelong passion; not just for the sport itself, but for the stories it tells: of grit, of heartbreak, of improbable comebacks and human resilience.
As a tennis writer, I bring the observational lens of someone who didn’t grow up in the sport, but fell in love with it as an outsider; a perspective that lets me see both its technical beauty and its emotional depth. Over the years working with TennisUpToDate, I’ve had the privilege of reaching more than 3.5 million readers worldwide, with one of my features ranking among the site’s top three articles.
With a background in storytelling and a creative mind always searching for meaning beyond the scoreboard, I aim to craft narratives that go deeper than results and rankings. Whether it’s a rising star breaking through or a veteran fighting off Father Time, I try to capture the heartbeat behind the headlines.
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mandoist06-11-2026 - Enough of her bullshit. Go marry someone.
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mandoist31-10-2026









