Chris Evert knows a thing or two about playing top-shelf tennis at Roland Garros. Evert is a seven-time French Open champion, a tournament record for the women, and at one point won 125 consecutive clay-court matches.
So what was Evert's reaction to watching the three-hour epic between World No.1 and two-time defending champion Iga Swiatek and former No.1 Naomi Osaka in the second round on Wednesday?
"This match.... worthy of a final," Evert wrote on social media.
Fans and members of the media echoed that sentiment. With a flurry of lighting baseline strikes, Osaka came within a point of pulling off the upset of the tournament and her first win over a Top 10 player on clay. Instead, it was the three-time champion who once again pulled off a Houdini act. Less than four weeks ago, Swiatek saved three match points to defeat No.2 Aryna Sabalenka in a thrilling Madrid Open final.
On Wednesday, Swiatek came from 5-2 down to save a match point and beat Osaka 7-6(1), 1-6, 7-5 to continue her title defense.
this match....... 🔥💪🏼👊worthy of a final.....
— Chris Evert (@ChrissieEvert) May 29, 2024
Iga. Naomi. Let's go! #RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/VuC3mnsuAj
— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) May 29, 2024
Iga x Naomi
— Jimmie48 Photography (@JJlovesTennis) May 29, 2024
Five years ago, feels like a lifetime of things has happened in the meantime. pic.twitter.com/lDuPpHE2Rs
Iga Swiatek and Naomi Osaka was an electric match up ⚡️
— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) May 29, 2024
Check out the highlights by @emirates 👇#RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/8ORlKgHTcc
The mark of a champion 👑
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) May 29, 2024
Iga Swiatek fought back from the brink to knock Naomi Osaka out of the French Open.#BBCTennis #RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/A81vctg1Yg
Here's how the tennis world reacted to the third installment of the Swiatek-Osaka rivalry:
Swiatek d. Osaka in an instaclassic 7-6, 1-6, 7-5 , down 2-5 and down an MP… Impossible not to feel for Osaka …Impossible not to admire the winner’s courage. #rolandgarros
— Jon Wertheim (@jon_wertheim) May 29, 2024
#1 Swiatek survives an inspired Naomi Osaka, saving a match point and coming back from 2-5 in the third to prevail.
— Ben Rothenberg (@BenRothenberg) May 29, 2024
7-6, 1-6, 7-5.
The #RolandGarros favorite stays alive.
Osaka loses a heartbreaker, but announces herself as ready to play with the world’s best once more. Oof.
Best match on clay I’ve ever seen Osaka play. Like: She Ran. Swiatek might be an even bigger favorite for the title now after coming back from this.
— Carole Bouchard 💜💛 (@carole_bouchard) May 29, 2024
Anyone else already excited to see Naomi Osaka peak for the US Open?
— Molly McElwee (@molly_mcelwee) May 29, 2024
@iga_swiatek and @naomiosaka just played one of the best matches in ages and ages @rolandgarros
— Andrew Krasny (@AndrewKrasny) May 29, 2024
Superb match between @iga_swiatek and @naomiosaka. Has to be by far the best match Osaka has ever played on clay and bodes very well for later in the year on hard courts. But Swiatek so strong, mentally, cut out the errors late on and found a way.
— Simon Cambers (@scambers73) May 29, 2024
Naomi Osaka: "I cried when I got off the court, but then I realize I watched Iga win this tournament last year [while] pregnant. It was just my dream to be able to play her. When I kind of think of it like that, I think I'm doing pretty well."
— Tumaini Carayol (@tumcarayol) May 29, 2024
Impressive on and off-court today.
DID YOU KNOW❓
— TENNIS (@Tennis) May 29, 2024
With her win over Naomi Osaka in the second round of Roland Garros today, 🇵🇱 @iga_swiatek is still the ONLY woman to reach the third round or better at EVERY SINGLE GRAND SLAM THIS DECADE. 💪👏
That's 17 Grand Slams in a row and counting since the start of 2020:
