Iga Swiatek defeats Ons Jabeur to Win the U.S. Open Championship

Iga Swiatek won her first ever U.S. Open championship at Flushing Meadows and her third Grand Slam title on Saturday after defeating fifth-seeded Ons Jabeur in back-to-back sets.

Swiatek, who is from Poland and ranked No 1 by the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA), played some of her best tennis since turning pro 2016. The winner of the 2020 and 2022 French Open, Swiatek dominated 5th seeded Ons Jabeur (6-2, 7-6) and was cheered on by the crowds for her superior sportsmanship.

However, Iga Swiatek went into the U.S. Open unsure what to expect, as many women had complained the balls used by the women were lighter than those used by the men. Swiatek, who had never advanced beyond the fourth round at the U.S. Open and was only 4-4 after her 37-match winning streak came to an end in July, also mentioned she was trying to get use to the distractions and noise of the Big Apple

After dementing her victory over Jabeur, that no longer matters as the win confirmed she is now the dominant player in Women’s tennis now that Serena Williams has announced her appearance at this year’s Open will be her last.

“Just not expecting a lot, especially before this tournament. It was such a challenging time, you know?” said Swiatek. For sure, this tournament was really challenging, also, because it’s New York. It’s so loud. It’s so crazy,” she said. “I’m really proud that I could handle it mentally.”

Swiatek, who travels with a sports psychologist, said it took some courage to win the second set and get the job done. With the second set at 6-5, it saw Swiatek holding her first championship point in the finals, and just as Jabeur was to serve, Swiatek did the unusual and went to the sidelines to change rackets.

When the second set resumed, the Pol missed a backhand, and that gave Jabeur the push she needed to force a tiebreaker, one in which she led 5-4. However, Swiatek managed to win the last three points and shortly thereafter, she was handed the silver trophy and a cheque for $2.6 million.

The Polish native has had a stellar performance this year, having won her second French Open title, a with her win at the U.S. Open, she is the first woman to win two majors in a single season since  Angelique Kerber won two in 2016.

For her part, Jabeur accepted defeat graciously and congratulated Swiatek on her win while thanking the crowds for their support.

“I really tried, but Iga didn’t make it easy for me. She deserved to win today. I don’t like her very much right now, but it’s OK. I know I’m going to keep working hard, and I know we’ll get that title someday soon.”

Jabeur, who was ranked fifth in the world for tennis going into the final, will see her ranking on Monday jump to no. 2 in the world. At 28, the Tunisia player became the first Arab and first African woman for advance to the U.S. Open finals. Not a stranger to playing in a Grand Slam final, nor a stranger, she was runner-up to Elena at this year’s Wimbledon finals.

It didn’t that Jabeur didn’t only have to contend with Swiatek and the knowledge she has won her last ten appearances in a final, but she also had to deal with the 85-degree afternoon temperatures at Flushing Meadows.

Compared to her other matches in the lead-up to the final, Jabeur made it to the semifinals before having to face a breakpoint. However, Swiatek put that to an end after a well-placed cross-court backhand winner ended a 15-stroke exchange.

To make matters worse, eight minutes into the first set Jabeur was down 3-0 after Swiatek won 12 of the first 14 points. Using a heavy topspin forehand to give her an advantage, Swiatek took control of the points and tempo of the first set. The Pol kept Jabeur on her toes, forcing her to run this way and that, denying her the opportunity to play her game and the sort of spins she’s accustomed to.

When Jabeur did get the opportunity, Swiatek managed to use her strong court coverage to cover the distance as she darted across the red clay surface. And the despair she was feeling became evident when she missed a slice forehand during the second set, she dropped her racket and, several points later, flung her racket while falling face down.

However, after Swiatek returned a down-the-line backhand passing shot and went up 2-0 in the second, Jabeur briefly made things interesting after she managed to tie the second 4-4. While that saw her celebrating with a fist pump, that success was short-lived, even if she managed to earn three break point chances.

Ultimately, it wasn’t enough, and it wasn’t long before Swiatek won the second set after Jabeur overshot a return volley, and as they say, the rest is history.