If Iga Swiatek meets Aryna Sabalenka for the French Open championship, more than the trophy would be at stake. The No. 1 ranking would be, too. But there's work to be done for both players first — getting to the final. In Thursday's semifinals, No. 2 Sabalenka of Belarus will play unseeded Karolina Muchova of the Czech Republic, before No. 1 Swiatek of Poland faces No. 14 Beatriz Haddad Maia of Brazil. Sabalenka is unbeaten in Grand Slam action in 2023; she won her first major title at the Australian Open in January. She's drawn more attention for non-tennis matters over the past 1 1/2 weeks, however, connected to her country's assistance to Russia during the invasion of Ukraine.
