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PARIS: Polish teenager Iga Swiatek won her country’s first Grand Slam singles title on Saturday (October 10) by defeating American fourth seed Sofia Kenin 6-4, 6-1 to become the French Open champion youngest female since 1992.
Swiatek, 19, at 54, the lowest ranked woman to capture the Roland Garros title in the modern era, is the ninth major champion for the first time in the past 14 Grand Slams.
“Maybe it had to be this way, another loser had to win a Grand Slam. In women’s tennis right now it’s crazy,” said Swiatek, who will rise to 17th in the world after her victory.
“I don’t know what’s going on. It’s overwhelming for me, it’s crazy.”
“Two years ago I won a junior Grand Slam (at Wimbledon) and now I am here.” “It feels like such a short time.”
Swiatek is the youngest women’s French Open winner since Monica Seles 28 years ago.
She overshadowed the streak of her compatriot Jadwiga Jedrzejowska, the most outstanding Polish player of the interwar period, who finished runner-up at Roland Garros in 1939.
Swiatek was the second Polish woman to reach a Grand Slam final in the Open era after Agnieszka Radwanska at Wimbledon in 2012. She had never made it past the round of 16 before.
Australian Open champion Kenin, 21, was trying to become the first woman to capture two Slams in the same year since Angelique Kerber in 2016.
Swiatek, whose only previous tour-level final was in Lugano last year, dispelled any initial nervous fears when he won 12 of the first 15 points to overcome 3-0.
However, Kenin has become used to fighting in difficult situations in Paris and backed down when Swiatek served an untimely double fault that allowed the American to tie at 3 overall.
Swiatek, who worked his way into the championship game, conceding just 23 games in six rounds, secured precious control before Kenin lost his serve a second time.
Serving for the first set at 5-3, Swiatek threw a docile backhand at the net at set point and Kenin immediately snapped back, breaking a backhand comeback.
Kenin’s stamina has been a staple of her success, but she broke down again to present Swiatek with two more set points at 4-5, quickly dragging a wide backhand to deliver the Pole the opening set.
Kenin, sixth in the ranking, trying to become the first woman to capture two Slams in the same season since Angelique Kerber in 2016, broke to start the second set.
But an undeterred Swiatek answered the next game, hitting a backhand down the line to break one more time before holding on with ease to go 2-1 up.
Kenin subsequently called for a medical timeout to receive treatment on his bandaged left thigh, but was unable to stop his opponent’s momentum when Swiatek broke for the fifth time.
Swiatek earned the next eight points to reach the title cusp at 5-1, securing a historic win with a powerful cross forehand on his first match point.
