Final preview: Swiatek vs Paolini

Swiatek was off to do her homework on Friday. She knew that she had beaten Paolini twice before but that was a couple of years ago, back when the Italian wasn't thinking of herself as a potential major champion.

Things have changed. Paolini has finally started to believe that she can beat the best in the world and be one of the best in the world. Swiatek knows that she has to be wary.

“I need to prepare tactically and see what her game is at now because for sure she's had the best season,” the world No.1 said.

“So she must have changed something. Honestly, I haven't watched her matches. I'll just focus on myself and prepare tactically and try to be consistent with my tactics.”

When Swiatek does that, she tends to win. Her record in Paris is already remarkable and she is still only 23. Should she win today, it will be her fourth Roland-Garros crown in five years, a stat that prompts many pundits to liken her to Rafael Nadal. As a Rafa fan, that tickles her. 

“He's a total legend,” she said. “But I'm proud of myself that I'm playing consistently here and that I'm mentioned in the same sentence as Rafa. That's cool.”

In much the same way, Paolini is quietly proud that she is now standing alongside Swiatek on Court Philippe-Chatrier in front of the Coupe Suzanne Lenglen. “I have huge respect for Iga,” she said, “but my goal is to step on court and try to enjoy the match and to enjoy that moment and to try to play a good match. To step on court and to believe that you can win, it's a totally different way to see the match.”

Now aged 28, Paolini has taken her time to develop into a top-20 player. In years past, she would face the elite women and have no answer to their tactics and experience. But then she began to stand her ground and the closer she got to the big names, the more she believed that she could beat them. It sounds simple but it is anything but easy.

“With more matches, let's say, in my pocket, I feel more confidence in my game, in myself,” she said. “So, as I said many times, I step on court believing that I can win those matches, and that's I think the main change that I made.” 

Swiatek has been ruthless on these courts for the past five years; Paolini is the Grand Slam final debutante. Swiatek is powerful; Paolini is lightning fast.

To take on the world No.1 in the championship match is still a huge challenge but as Paolini has proved in the past couple of weeks, if you believe in yourself then anything is possible.