Iga Swiatek made historical past by successful her fourth French Open title with a 6-2, 6-1 victory over Jasmine Paolini, solidifying her standing amongst tennis greats.
The 23-year-old from Poland turned solely the fourth lady to win 4 Roland Garros singles titles within the Open period, becoming a member of Chris Evert, Steffi Graf and Justine Henin.
She can also be the primary participant to assert three successive girls’s titles in Paris since Henin in 2007. Monica Seles was the primary to take action, triumphing from 1990-92.
“I’m really proud of myself, because the expectations obviously have been pretty high from the outside. Pressure, as well,” stated Swiatek.
“I’m a perfectionist, so there’s all the time strain behind me. But I believe I’m superb with dealing with my very own strain.
“It’s when the pressure from the outside hits me, then it’s a little bit worse. But I managed it really well at this tournament.”
Swiatek’s newest coronation got here as no shock, however her run to the title was not with out its hiccups – and tears.
She saved a match level in opposition to Naomi Osaka within the second spherical, later weeping within the fitness center as her feelings took over.
“I honestly thought that I’m going to be out of the tournament,” Swiatek recalled after her third-round win.
“Even though I felt something on court, it kind of hit me after. I was happy that I won, but I still felt like I was really on the edge. So, yeah, I just cried.”
From that time, no one might get near Swiatek, who conceded a mere 11 video games from the fourth spherical onward – the joint-fewest en path to successful a girls’s main within the Open period.
Rare treble
The world No. 1 additionally accomplished a Madrid-Rome-Roland Garros treble. The solely different lady in historical past to do it in the identical season is Serena Williams.
“This tournament has been pretty surreal with its beginning and with second round, and then I was able to get my game better and better every match,” stated Swiatek.
Ominously for her rivals, the escape act in opposition to Osaka has crammed the Pole with even better resolve.
“For sure it gives me the feeling that I should always believe in myself, that I can find my tennis even if I’m in big trouble, you know and with this tennis, fight back,” stated Swiatek. “It gives me confidence.”
At 23, she has received the identical variety of French Open titles as Rafael Nadal, the document 14-time males’s champion, had on the identical age.
With the exception of her 2022 U.S. Open victory, Swiatek’s success in Paris far exceeds her outcomes on the different Grand Slams.
But as a former Wimbledon junior champion and a winner of six WTA 1000 hard-court occasions, it’s absolutely solely a matter of time till Swiatek hits upon the proper system to translate her clay kind into extra main titles on different surfaces.
It was after Nadal’s fourth Roland Garros that the Spaniard went on to carry his maiden Wimbledon trophy.
Swiatek, who stated earlier than the event it was “too early” to contemplate herself the “Queen of Clay,” once more was reluctant to attract comparisons together with her idol Nadal.
Swiatek has but to make it previous the quarter-finals of the principle draw at Wimbledon and isn’t setting any particular targets.
“I don’t expect a lot. The balls are different. Overall tennis is different on grass. I’ll just see and I’ll work hard to play better there,” she stated.
Source: www.dailysabah.com