Iga Swiatek suffered a minor slump ever since her Wimbledon loss. After the tournament, she wasn’t able to make a big statement in the Masters or the remaining majors. She also relinquished her rank 1 and faced a difficult period. But things seem to be turning around for her. She is in the final of the last Masters of the WTA Tour and has a chance to close the gap between her and the one at the top. 

Swiatek has fought hard and well to reach so far into the China Open. She faced Coco Gauff in the semi-final, while also battling demotivation due to an empty arena. But now that she has won, she seems to be back on track.

Iga Swiatek shares a message of hope

When she was eliminated in the Wimbledon, Swiatek looked dismayed at the result. The following Masters and the US Open wouldn’t fare any better for her as she exited them rather early as well. She won the Poland Open, but it didn’t help her perform better in the following championships. She lost her #1 ranking in the US Open to Aryna Sabalenka, who is out of the tournament. 

Swiatek faced Gauff in the semifinal of the Beijing Open and dismantled her in straight sets. After the match, she was emotional as Gauff defeated her in their last bout. Completing her vengeance in China, she said, “I will remember for the rest of my career that even if tougher times may come, in your mind you know you can always overcome that“.

Trending

Serena Williams’ Daughter Adira Makes Her ‘Papa Pancake’ Debut as Alexis Ohanian Passes On the Tradition Set for Olympia

May 20, 2024 11:04 AM EDT

Coco Gauff’s New Doubles Partner Throws Subtle Shade at Jessica Pegula to Celebrate Their Successful Italian Open Campaign

May 21, 2024 11:02 AM EDT

Serena Williams’ Daughter Olympia Goes Gaga Over Simone Biles’ Comeback as Alexis Ohanian Reveals Her Animated Reaction

May 20, 2024 05:03 PM EDT

Coco Gauff’s Achilles Heel Makes Iga Swiatek’s Weakness Look Feeble as She Explains Why the American Falters Behind

May 20, 2024 08:06 PM EDT

Novak Djokovic Fans Turn against Nelly Korda as She Only Makes Room for Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal as Her Inspirations

May 20, 2024 07:30 PM EDT

Get instantly notified of the hottest Tennis stories via Google! Click on Follow Us and Tap the Blue Star.

Follow Us

Swiatek overcame the last time she fell short and now can claim the big title in China. Despite her happiness and the victory, the number of the crowd seemed abysmal.

Read More: Saddening WTA China Open Reality Prompts World No. 2 Iga Swiatek to Make a Desperate Plea to the Fans

Gauff vs Swiatek sees a shocking crowd

With two grand slam champions facing each other, many would think the stadium would be filled to the brim. However, that was not the case. Only 30% of the stadium was occupied by fans, a shocking number for a semifinal of a Masters tournament. This has been an issue in the China Open since it began, and Swiatek even pleaded with fans to come and watch them play.

Despite the shockingly few people in the stadium, the support for Swiatek was all around as fans carried flags with her name on them. Regardless of the size of the audience, Gauff and Swiatek fought with everything in their power. Their bout gave us the first finalist for the China Open. As the other finalist will be confirmed soon, the WTA Tour is nearing its end.

WATCH THIS STORY | ‘What A Class Act’ – Serena Williams Sends Love As Roger Federer Hangs His Tennis Racket