In a few days’ time, Iga Swiatek will embark on a daunting challenge that many Grand Slam champions have faced, but only great ones have mastered: back-to-back wins at the French Open and Wimbledon, aka a “Channel Slam.”
With four Grand Slam titles under her belt, an active 19-match win streak, and a finely balanced all-around game, 22-year old Roland Garros champion Iga Swiatek has stoked hopes that she might become the first woman since Serena Williams in 2015 to earn a Channel Slam. The feat is within reach of any player who wins in Paris, but one which very few grasp.
Among those it has eluded are: Monica Seles, Martina Hingis, Justine Henin, Venus Williams, Maria Sharapova, and Ashleigh Barty.
A Channel Slam requires superb versatility and remarkable physical and mental stamina—so much so that in the pro era, only seven women have accomplished it, and even fewer (5) men. Only two men did it more than once (Nadal and Bjorn Borg), while five women completed two Channel Slams.
