Iga Swiatek’s US Open victory cements her standing because the dominant power in girls’s tennis

NEW YORK — After Ons Jabeur‘s forehand sailed out of bounds, Iga Swiatek instantly dropped to the bottom and coated her eyes together with her palms. Polish flags waved and “Iga” chants erupted round Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Swiatek had simply received the US Open, her third profession main title and second of the yr, with a 6-2, 7-6 (5) victory over Ons Jabeur, and in that second proved she is now the long-awaited dominant power in girls’s tennis.

However even she appeared shocked whereas receiving her trophy after the match — and never simply due to the $2.6 million verify with which she was introduced.

“I am fairly glad it isn’t in money,” she joked.

Having confirmed she was the most effective on this planet on clay, she nonetheless had questions on her hardcourt sport.

“I am not anticipating quite a bit, particularly earlier than this event, it was a difficult time,” Swiatek mentioned on the courtroom, whereas carrying a brand new Asics jacket that includes “1GA” and three stars to signify every main win. “Getting back from successful a Grand Slam is difficult, even when Roland Garros was the second [major title], I wanted to remain composed and deal with the targets.

“It is difficult. New York is loud, it is so loopy. There are such a lot of temptations within the metropolis, so many individuals I’ve met who’re inspiring, I am so pleased with how I’ve dealt with it mentally.”

Whereas Serena Williams‘ impending retirement consumed the headlines in the course of the first week of the event, Swiatek proved throughout her spectacular fortnight that she was the inheritor obvious to Williams’ former function because the tour’s famous person. There have been others in recent times to realize regular success — together with Naomi Osaka, who has received 4 hardcourt main titles, and the not too long ago retired Ashleigh Barty, who received a Grand Slam on each floor — however Swiatek’s time is now. She is a contender wherever she performs.

It was the seventh title of the season for Swiatek — probably the most by a lady on tour since Williams in 2014 — and Swiatek grew to become the primary girl to win a number of majors in the identical yr since Angelique Kerber in 2016. She has held the No. 1 rating since April, and Swiatek now has double the factors of Jabeur, who will return to the No. 2 spot on Monday.

Even the devastated Jabeur, who fought again to power a second-set tiebreak on Saturday after a lopsided first set that lasted simply 29 minutes, acknowledged the US Open title belonged with Swiatek after the match.

“I actually tried however Iga did not make it simple for me,” Jabeur mentioned on courtroom. “She deserved to win right this moment. I do not like her very a lot proper now, however it’s okay.”

It has been an unimaginable rise over the previous two years for the Polish star. Swiatek, a former junior champion, arrived to Roland Garros for the pandemic-delayed French Open in 2020 ranked No. 54 on this planet and was barely on the radar. She left Paris a champion.

Following the breakthrough victory, Swiatek was candid in her desire to be extra constant and acknowledged that had been a latest battle for a lot of within the girls’s sport. She has greater than made good on that hope. The 21-year-old is now the youngest three-time Grand Slam champion since Maria Sharapova in 2008.

Throughout 2022 alone, she had an astounding 37-match win streak and dropped only one set throughout her title run at Roland Garros. Within the last, she misplaced simply 4 video games to budding famous person Coco Gauff.

Swiatek confirmed all through the summer time that she wasn’t as snug on the hardcourt as she is on clay, and publicly expressed her displeasure about the balls used during the US Open swing final month, however she discovered methods to win when it counted most. She wanted three units in two of her matches, within the fourth spherical and the semifinals, en path to the ultimate. She later mentioned these challenges gave her extra confidence.

“It sort of offers you a bit little bit of that belief that you would be able to deal with any state of affairs that’s on the market,” Swiatek mentioned on Thursday. “Yeah, possibly some simply confidence that subsequent time you already know what talent to decide on and what resolution to have, sort of. It is the most effective expertise you may have for subsequent matches, for positive.”

She had no points with confidence on Saturday. She was removed from flawless — recording extra unforced errors than winners, as she had performed for each match of the event — however discovered a option to win even when Jabeur raised her stage within the second set.

Off the courtroom, Swiatek has emerged as one of many tour’s extra outspoken leaders, very similar to Williams was for therefore a few years. She has worn a Ukrainian flag ribbon on her hat for the reason that begin of the Russian invasion of the nation, and has organized a number of exhibitions to lift cash for humanitarian help and consciousness, together with throughout a “Tennis Performs for Peace” occasion forward of the US Open at Louis Armstrong Stadium. Whereas naturally introverted, having a trigger appears to have invigorated Swiatek and given her one thing extra to play for than simply herself.

Moments after Swiatek’s win on Saturday night, she introduced her trophy to the ESPN set outdoors of Arthur Ashe for a dwell interview. Hundreds of followers gathered behind her, a sea of crimson and white, chanting her identify and phrases in Polish and cheering for her each phrase. Swiatek mentioned in the course of the interview that her rise within the sport started in the course of the pandemic, the place few followers have been in attendance at occasions. However she checked out house, and utterly relaxed with the gang and the highlight.

When host Chris McKendry talked about to Swiatek she had by no means seen a crowd fairly just like the one gathered aside from possibly Rafael Nadal, Swiatek confidently interrupted and maybe subconsciously shared the place she too views her present spot within the sport.

“And for Serena.”