By Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_Now | Thursday, June 5, 2025
Photo credit: Adam Pretty/Getty
Iga Swiatek expressed her frustration with chair umpire Kader Nouni after he refused to inspect a crucial ball mark during their semifinal showdown.
World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka ended Swiatek’s remarkable 26-match winning streak at Roland Garros, delivering a 7-6(1), 4-6, 6-0 victory and dashing Swiatek’s hopes of securing an unprecedented fourth consecutive French Open title.
Swiatek jumped to a 4-2 lead in the second set but later believed she had spotted a mark indicating that Sabalenka’s serve had gone long. She requested Nouni to check the mark, but he declined, implying her request stemmed from her realizing her return would go out.
After the match, Swiatek voiced her concerns about a double standard, highlighting that Nouni seemed more attentive to Sabalenka’s requests for mark inspections. She stated, “He would come down to check every mark when Aryna wanted to, yet when I asked, it felt like he was implying I only wanted him to check because I knew my return was out.”
The five-time Grand Slam champion expressed disappointment over the perceived disparity in how the umpire treated their requests. “I simply wanted him to come down and check the mark. However, he didn’t. It felt unfair, especially since he never hesitated when Aryna asked.”
Swiatek further acknowledged Sabalenka’s heightened intensity in the final set, noting, “Her pace was incredibly fast, especially at the beginning. It made rallies difficult to establish.”
“I was able to create some rallies, but in the third set, things reverted to the opening set’s pattern, and Aryna capitalized on her chances while I struggled to maintain my form from the second set.”
This marks Sabalenka’s third consecutive Grand Slam final against an American player, following her win over Jessica Pegula in the 2024 US Open final and her loss to Madison Keys in the Australian Open final. She now prepares to face Gauff in Saturday’s final, with both competitors vying for their first French Open title.
