Comparing Iga Swiatek’s numbers to those of Serena Williams after their first 48 matches on clay

World No.1 Iga Swiatek etched her name in the history books as she lifted the Suzanne Lenglen trophy at the 2022 French Open on Saturday. The Pole has now won 35 matches in a row, equalling Venus Williams' streak for the most consecutive wins this century.

After defeating Coco Gauff in the final of the French Open, Swiatek became the fourth player after Justine Henin, Maria Sharapova and Serena Williams to win at least two French Open titles in a span of three years in the 21st century.

Among the active players on tour, Serena Williams leads the count in match wins on clay (179). She also has the most titles on the surface (7). The 23-time singles Slam winner is a three-time French Open champion, but her legacy is now being challenged by the 21-year-old Pole, who has had a better start than the American on clay.

The French Open final marked Iga Swiatek's 48th completed match on clay in tour-level main-draw matches. We compare this record with Serena Williams' first 48 matches on the same surface.

#1 Match wins

In terms of match wins, Iga Swiatek has won 42 of her 48 matches on clay. Serena Williams, on the other hand, recorded 38 wins out of her first 48 matches on the surface. In terms of the win-rate, Swiatek's 87.5% is far higher than Williams' 79%.

#2 Time span

Williams played her first tour-level claycourt match in Rome in 1998, where she made the quarterfinals. Five years later, she played her 48th claycourt match in the same event, finishing as a semifinalist.

Swiatek played her first tour-level claycourt match in 2019 at Lugano, where she finished as the runner-up. Three years later, Swiatek played her 48th match to win her second French Open title.

#3 Record against top-10 opponents

Serena Williams played 15 of the first 48 matches of her claycourt career against top-10 players. She won seven of those encounters, giving her a win-rate of 46.66%.

In comparison, Iga Swiatek has faced nine top-10 players, winning seven of those matches. Her win-rate against the top-10 players on clay stands at 77.8%.

#4 Straight-sets wins

Serena Williams won 38 of her first 48 matches on clay. Out of these, 33 came in straight sets. Her straight-sets win-rate amounts to 86.8%.

Iga Swiatek has won 42 of her first 48 matches on clay, achieving straight-sets victories in 38 of those encounters. This includes both the French Open finals she has played in. Her straight-sets win-rate is a whopping 90.48%.

#5 Tour-level titles

Williams reached four tour-level finals during her first 48 matches on clay - the 2002 Berlin Open, 2002 Rome Open and 2003 Charleston Open were Tier I events, which are the modern equivalent of the WTA 1000 tournaments.

In each of these tournaments, Williams faced Justine Henin in the final. Henin managed to defeat Williams in two of those finals - Berlin and Charleston, while Williams won in Rome.

Serena Williams also reached the final of the 2002 French Open during this period, defeating her older sister Venus Williams 7-5, 6-3.

Iga Swiatek has made six finals in her first 48 matches on clay. Two of those came at the French Open, where she beat Sofia Kenin (2020) and Coco Gauff (2022). She also won the Italian Open in 2021 and 2022 as well as the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in 2022.

The only claycourt final the 21-year old lost was at Lugano in 2019 against Polona Hercog.

Verdict

Both Serena Williams and Iga Swiatek achieved the No. 1 ranking during the initial phases of their claycourt careers. Williams was ranked 31st when she played her first match on clay, whereas Swiatek was ranked No. 115.

Despite the early numbers heavily favoring Swiatek, the Pole will be tested for her longevity and consistency down the road. The two-time French Open champion is already showing signs of greatness with a relentless 35-match win-streak. The question is, will she eventually surpass Williams' tally on the red dirt?