10 Things to Know, Day 14: Kenin now 5-0 from QFs on at majors

Trivia: Iga Swiatek isn’t just a win away from her first major, she’s a win away from her first tour-level title. Who was the last player to win their first tour-level title at a major?

It’s down to Sofia Kenin and Swiatek for the Coupe Suzanne-Lenglen. Kenin’s trying to win her second major of 2020, while Swiatek’s trying to become the first Polish player, male or female, to win a major.

Kenin’s trying to become the first woman to win multiple majors in a season since 2016. Angelique Kerber pulled off the feat that year, winning both of the hardcourt majors: the Australian Open and US Open.

Swiatek’s the first player born in 2001 or later, male or female, to reach a major final. Only one 2000-born player has gotten to a major final, and that was Bianca Andreescu, who won the 2019 US Open.

Coming into 2020, Kenin was 11-11 at majors. So far in 2020, she’s 16-1. She went 7-0 to win the Australian Open, 3-1 to reach the fourth round at the US Open (falling to Elise Mertens) and is 6-0 here.

Both Kenin and Swiatek lost their only clay-court lead-up match coming into Roland Garros. Both women played one lead-up event on clay: Rome. Swiatek lost first round to No. 71-ranked Arantxa Rus, 7-6 (5), 6-3, while Kenin lost to Victoria Azarenka in the second round, 6-0, 6-0, after a first-round bye.

Kenin’s now 5-0 at majors once she reaches the quarterfinals. At the US Open we saw Naomi Osaka improve to 9-0 at majors once she reaches the quarterfinals—all three times she’s made the quarters, she’s won the title—and Kenin’s now building a similar stat. Winning the Australian Open in January and reaching the final here are the only two times she’s been to the quarters or better at a major.

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The last first-time meeting in a Grand Slam women’s final was… Osaka against Petra Kvitova in the 2019 Australian Open final (Osaka won in three sets). The last first-time meeting in a Roland Garros women’s final was Simona Halep against Jelena Ostapenko in 2017 (Ostapenko won in three sets).

Kenin and Swiatek did play each other once in the juniors, though. And it was here at Roland Garros in 2016, in the third round, with Swiatek winning, 6-4, 7-5. She lost to Anastasia Potapova in the quarters.

Kenin’s 5-1 in her career in tour-level finals. The American’s only loss in a final came at Acapulco in March 2019, falling to China’s Wang Yafan, 2-6, 6-3, 7-5—she had a 6-2, 2-0 lead in that one, too.

Swiatek will shatter her career-high, win or lose. The No. 54-ranked Pole will soar past her current career-high of No. 48 no matter what, up to No. 24 if she loses the final and to No. 17 if she wins. No. 6-ranked Kenin will return to her career-high of No. 4 if she loses and set a new high of No. 3 with a title.

Yesterday’s Trivia: The only one of the men’s semifinalists who didn’t have double digit wins on clay so far this year was actually Rafael Nadal!