Iga Swiatek and Jasmine Paolini’s French Open 2024 final viewership reaches shocking new low in US; becomes least watched final in tournament history

Iga Swiatek and Jasmine Paolini's final at the 2024 French Open became the least-viewed singles final in the tournament's history in the United States. The final was a lopsided event that ended up crowing Swiatek the winner for the third consecutive time.

The Pole was the huge favorite heading into the Paris Major owing to her triumphs at this year's WTA 1000s in Madrid and Rome. Barring her second-round match against Naomi Osaka, the Pole had a comfortable run to the summit clash where she met Jasmine Paolini, who was in her first Major final.

Iga Swiatek had a smooth sailing against Paolini, defeating her 6-2, 6-1 to win her third successive title at the clay-court Major.

The French Open coverage in the USA reached a new low as the women's singles finals averaged 0.49 and 756,000, showing a big decrease from last year's final between Swiatek and Karolina Muchova which averaged 0.6 and 1.04 million. It became the least-watched singles final in the tournament's history in America.

To give some perspective, the top two sporting events that day, the Belmont Stakes and Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final between the Edmonton Oilers and the Florida Panthers garnered 3.86 and 3.12 million views respectively.

Andrea Petkovic comes in Iga Swiatek's defense amid "boring" claims

The Pole with the Suzanne-Lenglen Cup

While many sang Iga Swiatek's praise, there were many critics who complained about how the Pole was making women's tennis boring with her dominance. Andrea Petkovic jumped to her defense expressing her anger at the 'blatant misogyny' the 23-year-old was facing.

"A thing that has not only made me unhappy but straight-up furious is the blatant misogyny that Iga Swiatek is facing for BEING TOO GOOD AT HER JOB," Petkovic wrote on Substack.

Petkovic also added how no one complained when a nearly 40-year-old Novak Djokovic was dominating the field even when he was injured but when the World No. 1 did the same, she made women's tennis boring.

"I never heard anybody complain when nearly forty-year-old Novak Djokovic beats young talents on one leg because he’s that good but when a woman cruises through the field suddenly WOMEN’S TENNIS IS BORING and Iga Swiatek is not good for tennis," she added.

After a successful clay season, Swiatek will head to the grass swing, where her first tournament will be the Berlin Ladies Open. It will be the Pole's very first appearance in the WTA 500 tournament.