Serena Williams changed the game with her 23 Grand Slam titles. Her legacy still stands tall. She was, and still is, the blueprint for power, dominance, and belief in women’s tennis. And that impact is felt every time a new generation takes the court. Aryna Sabalenka is one of those players. She’s said it herself. “I always wanted to dominate the tour like Serena did,” Sabalenka said ahead of the WTA Finals last year. Like many others, she grew up watching Serena and dreaming of a career just like hers. But these players are now carving a legacy of their own and surpassing some records of their idol on the way.

For the last three years, only two names have topped the WTA rankings: Iga Swiatek and Aryna Sabalenka. Their battle for No. 1 has pushed them to new heights and produced some of the biggest matches in recent memory. After booking her place in the quarterfinals, Sabalenka reached a special milestone. She’s now won 10 straight Round of 16 matches at Grand Slams. The last woman to do that? Serena Williams, who put together a 17-match streak between the 2014 US Open and the 2021 Australian Open.

And it didn’t stop there. On a windy day at Court Philippe Chatrier, Sabalenka beat Qinwen Zheng 7-6 (7-3), 6-3 to reach the French Open semifinals. The score looked straightforward, but the match was anything but. Zheng had her chances. Sabalenka had to rally back from a breakdown in the opening set. The Chinese star pushed hard, but Sabalenka played the big points better. Zheng’s serve cracked in the key moments, and that was all the opening the World No. 1 needed. With the win, Sabalenka has now reached the semifinals at Roland Garros without dropping a single set. It’s her second semifinal here; the first was in 2023, when she lost to Karolína Muchová.

Another stat jumped off the page after this win. Sabalenka now has a 70% win rate against top 10 opponents, with a minimum of 10 matches played. That puts her in elite company. Only three players have done better: Steffi Graf, Martina Navratilova, and Iga Swiatek. And yes, that means the Belarusian has moved past Serena Williams on that list. Serena had a win rate of 68.9% against top 10 players. Sabalenka, often compared to the 23-time Grand Slam champion for their similar powerful play style, has now edged ahead in this specific stat.

Only Navratilova, with 70.6%, stands between Sabalenka and Swiatek on the win-rate leaderboard. Swiatek is second overall, with a 75% win rate. Steffi Graf leads the list at 75.3%. There’s more at stake now. Aryna Sabalenka might get a shot at closing that gap very soon.

Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek set up a thrilling semifinal clash at Roland Garros

On the other half of the draw, Iga Swiatek is cruising. Her comeback win over Elena Rybakina—1-6, 6-3, 7-5 — was her 25th straight victory on clay. That ties her with Monica Seles (1990–1996) and puts her just four short of Chris Evert’s record of 29. And now she has surpassed Seles as well with her latest victory in the quarterfinals. Despite coming into the match with her lowest ranking since 2022 and surviving a close call against Elena Rybakina in the previous round, Iga Swiatek found her top form just in time. She powered past Elina Svitolina 6-1, 7-5 in a 1-hour, 41-minute display of grit and precision.

Now, we’re looking at a blockbuster semifinal: Iga Swiatek vs. Aryna Sabalenka. A rivalry that’s been building for years. Together, they’ve won seven of the last 11 Grand Slam singles titles. In 2024 alone, they’ve claimed three of the four played so far. They’ve faced off 12 times, with the Pole winning eight. But the last time they met, it was Sabalenka who came out on top with a straight-set win in Cincinnati.

Paris is set for the next chapter of their rivalry. With both stars in the semifinals, Roland Garros is guaranteed a blockbuster showdown. Who will come out on top this time? Let us know who your pick is!