Iga Swiatek Admits Shock as Unlikely Streak Delivers Serena Williams Feat

Having lost in the semifinals of the Cincinnati Open in each of the previous two editions, Iga Swiatek looked determined to make it through to the finals this time. Although the former world number 3, Elena Rybakina, put up a strong fight in the first set, Swiatek managed to keep her composure intact in that match to secure a win by 7-5,6-3. With that win, she reached the final of the Cincinnati Open for the first time in her career. In the final, her opponent was Jasmine Paolini, and over here, Swiatek had a clear edge in this duel. Reason?

Iga Swiatek had a 5-0 lead against in Italian in their H2H record. However, Jasmine Paolini got off to a stellar start in this match, winning the first three games within the blink of an eye. But the Pole managed to pull things back on track right at the nick of time. She defeated Paolini by 7-5,6-4 to lift her maiden Cincinnati Open title. This is Swiatek’s 24th title in her career and also her 11th WTA 1000 title. This is now also the second-most WTA 1000 titles since 2009, only behind tennis legend Serena Williams.

After the match, Iga Swiatek thanked her team, saying, “I want to thank my team. I don’t know why I won tournaments that were like the last ones in terms of where I thought I would be playing well. So thank you for forcing me to become a better player and learning how to play on these faster surfaces. I’m shocked and super happy. Thank you for the constant support to my team and my family back home.” Surprisingly, this year everyone expected her to do well at her favorite Slam (French Open), but she got eliminated in the SF.

Grass courts have always been Swiatek’s least favorite, but this year, she stunned everyone by winning the Wimbledon Championships. Now, she also manages to find success in Cincinnati. What a year this has been for Iga!