Iga Swiatek won the US Open to win her 10th consecutive final

In another relentless performance in a final, the young Every Swiatek defeated the Tunisian this SaturdayOur Jabeur to lift his first US Open title and third Grand Slam of his career.

The Pole, world number 1 according to the WTA ranking, beat Jabeur, who will be number 2 this Monday, 6-2 and 7-6 (7/5) in one hour and 51 minutes of play on the center court of Flushing Meadows (New York).

The European, 21 years old and double champion on the clay of Roland Garros (2020 and 2022), remains intractable in the finals, with a full victories in the last 10 she has played, without giving up a single set.

“It’s something I didn’t expect and it’s also a confirmation for me that the sky is the limit,” said Swiatek on his first major title on another surface, the NY hard court. “I had to be focused and this tournament was very challenging because New York is so noisy, so crazy, there are so many temptations in the city, inspiring people that I have met. It is really incredible for me and I am very proud that I managed it mentally”, he claimed.

The great tournament of Jabeur

In the other side, Jabeur, runner-up in July at Wimbledon, missed her second chance to be the first Arab and African tennis player to lift a Grand Slam title. The 28-year-old Tunisian overcame a brilliant start from Swiatek, who took the first set in half an hour, and battled in the second until forcing the tiebreak, in which she had a 4-4 lead. 5.

“I’ve really tried, but Iga hasn’t made it easy for me,” he acknowledged. “I’m sure I’ll be in the final again,” she stressed at the press conference. “I definitely want to win a Grand Slam just to show that it’s possible for someone who comes from my country, from my continent, to have that title.”

Following her loss to Elena Rybakina at Wimbledon, Jabeur starred in a spectacular run in New York in which he only dropped one set in six matches. The first African to compete for the US Open trophy, Jabeur couldn’t beat a Swiatek who had advanced through the tournament with a low profile.

The Pole had just been eliminated in the third round at Wimbledon and with a discreet stint in hard court tournaments that took the shine off her fabulous start to the year, with six titles including her second Roland Garros crown. But in the decider, Swiatek presented the most devastating version of her and added the trophy of a second Grand Slam to her case.

In a women’s circuit without a clear dominator since the decline of Serena Williams, Swiatek is the first to win two of the four Grand Slams in the same season since 2016. At Serena’s farewell tournament, Swiatek was also the first player to win seven titles in one year since the American star did so in 2014.

The match

Shrugging off the pressure, Jabeur walked onto the floor smiling and waving to the crowd as Swiatek continued his ritual of concentrating on hard rock through his headphones. His match start was just as forceful. In the blink of an eye Swiatek was in the lead 3-0.

Jabeur, arm tucked in and outmatched by Swiatek’s leg speed and punches, took a deep breath and landed two spectacular parallel punches as she began to let go. The reaction was a mirage, the Pole scored the first round in half an hour.

Jabeur also found no answers to the hurricane tennis of his rival at the beginning of the second set, in which he dropped the racket several times in desperation. Swiatek did not let her get her head up and sent her to the first break with a 3-0 lead, forcing the Tunisian to take more risks, managing blow by blow to regain confidence. Jabeur tied at 4-4 and had as many as three break and serve balls to win the set.

Although Swiatek escaped the situation, Jabeur later held a match point and forced the tiebreak amid the jubilation of the crowd, which was eager to experience a third set. In a high-tension playoff, the Tunisian led 4-5 but two errors condemned her to suffer her second defeat in major finals and allow Swiatek to consolidate as a new authority in women’s tennis. “I’m so glad it’s not in cash,” the Pole joked upon receiving the $2.6 million check for the winner.