Tennis World Talked About Her Father’s Reaction — Now She Will Play Against Świątek

Iga Świątek will face Sara Bejlek in the second round of Roland Garros on Wednesday, May 27, with the match scheduled for 12:00 on Court Philippe-Chatrier and broadcast on Eurosport 1. The Polish star, a four-time French Open champion, enters the contest as the clear favorite, but Bejlek arrives in Paris with growing confidence after an impressive opening-round win over Sloane Stephens, 6-3, 6-2.

The 20-year-old Czech has had a mixed clay-court season, winning only one of five matches before the tournament, but she has already shown she can rise to the occasion on the Grand Slam stage. At Roland Garros, she made a strong statement by beating the experienced Stephens in straight sets, showing the kind of aggressive, intelligent tennis that has helped her become one of the more interesting young players on the tour.

Bejlek’s career has also been marked by a controversial episode during her breakthrough at the 2022 US Open qualifying tournament. At just 16, she reached the main draw as a qualifier and celebrated emotionally with her father and coach after a decisive win. Photos and video from the moment drew criticism in the United States, although Bejlek said it was simply a spontaneous celebration with her team and that the matter had been discussed privately afterward. She later said such a reaction would likely have gone unnoticed in her native Czech Republic.

Despite the off-court attention and the pressure that followed, Bejlek continued to develop and has since established herself as a dangerous opponent. In 2025, she produced one of the biggest surprises of the French Open by defeating Marta Kostyuk 6-3, 6-1 as a qualifier. The performance earned widespread praise on social media and introduced her to a broader tennis audience.

A left-hander standing 163 centimeters tall, Bejlek has often been compared to Maja Chwalińska because of her style of play. She relies on variety, court sense, counterpunching, and tactical intelligence rather than power alone. Bejlek has said that being shorter than many of her rivals is not an advantage, but she believes her strengths lie in feel, movement, and the ability to strike hard when the opportunity appears.

Her progress has been reflected in the rankings as well. When she stunned Kostyuk, she was ranked No. 188 in the world. She is now No. 35, just one place below her career high. The jump is largely due to the biggest title of her career so far, winning the WTA 500 event in Abu Dhabi in February 2025. Starting from qualifying, she went all the way to the trophy, defeating Ekaterina Alexandrova, then ranked No. 11, in the final.

That victory gave Bejlek fresh belief. She said it showed her she can compete with anyone and does not need to fear any opponent when playing her best tennis. Now she faces one of the toughest possible tests in Świątek, who has dominated on Roland Garros clay for years.