Swiatek’s incredible achievements this season are still going on!
Although she suffered a couple of losses after her incredible winning streak of 37 matches, including a bizarre loss in Wimbledon third round against French veteran Alize Cornet.
The Journey to her FIRST US Open Final
The 21 years old Swiatek entered the 2022 US Open as a slight favourite, she won the first three matches quite easily, beating former US Open champion and crowd favourite Sloane Stephens in straights sets. Then, in the round of 16, versus Wimbledon quarterfinalist Niemeier, she found her rhythm after a tough start, and rolled into the quarterfinals of the US Open for the first time.
“I’m just proud that I didn’t lose hope,” Swiatek said. “I had a hard time pushing her back. I’m pretty glad it worked. I used my experience to keep my level the whole match.”
But her toughest battle would be in the semi-finals when Iga fought back a 4-2 deficit in the third set to beat the Belarussian Aryna Sabalenka 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 in 2-hour, 11-minute epic on Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Swiatek vs Jabeur: the first US Open women’s final featuring two top-10 players since 2013!
In the final, the stakes were very high for both players. The Polish world No. 1 had won eight straight finals and hasn’t dropped a set in all of them. On the other hand, Tunisia nsensation and No.5 seed Ons Jabeur has become the first African and Arab female tennis player to reach the finals of the US Open, and was seeking to become the first tennis player EVER from North Africa to win a Grand Slam championship.
The final didn’t start as a high-level tennis between two of the best in the world. In the first set, Swiatek showed why she’s the game’s best returner. She put back all 19 of her returns in play, this against a great server in Ons Jabeur. Therefore, she broke three times in the set and won it 6-1.
Jabeur’s response came in the second set, starting to get chances on her opponent’s serve. Still, Swiatek broke for the third straight time. With some pressure and nerves of the victory, Swiatek’s level dropped and Jabeur broke back. The set would then go back and forth between the two players, until the deciding game.
In the tiebreak, it was tight and the margins were very low. It was also Swiatek’s first tiebreak in a final.
Jabeur clawed to lead 5-4 on serve. But then Swiatek with a forehand winner down the line, and a tight forehand in the middle of the net from Jabeur. The Pole gets her first Championship point 6-5. The first serve goes long, and in the second serve Ons gets it back but then hits a forehand cross court long.
As the ball went out, Swiatek collapsed on the floor, realizing what she has just achieved. She became the first Polish player male or female to win a grand slam at Flushing Meadows, and she now has three majors at the age of 21 years & three months.
