Poland’s teenage sensation Iga Swiatek becomes the first Polish major singles winner with a victory over America’s Kenin in the Roland-Garros final.
The unseeded 19-year-old capped a lifelong dream to secure her maiden Grand Slam title, beating fourth seed Sofia Kenin 6-4, 6-1 in straight sets in the final on Saturday, 10 October 2020.
Swiatek says: “First of all I’m not very good at speeches so sorry because I won my last tournament like three years ago and I really don’t know who to thank, but I want to thank every person that’s made this tournament possible because in these times it was pretty hard for the federation, the organisation to do the tournament”.
“I’m pretty happy we can still do our job, and enjoy and entertain people so thank you very much. It’s crazy for me because I was watching every year how Rafa lifts the trophy so it’s crazy that I’m in the same place but I want to thank all the fans and the people who are watching in Poland. I know it’s pretty crazy back home.”
Watch the highlights of the finals below
Swiatek also becomes the first woman since Justine Henin in 2007 to clinch the title without conceding a set and only the second unseeded champion at Roland-Garros, after Jelena Ostapenko three years ago. Like Ostapenko, it also marked her first tour title.
She will rise from her current mark of No.54 in the rankings to world No.17.
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Playing just her seventh career Grand Slam main draw, Swiatek becomes the first teenager to raise the Coupe Suzanne-Lenglen in Paris since Iva Majoli in 1997.
Sofia Kenin was also bidding to become the first woman to win two Grand Slam titles in the same season since 2016 but was outplayed by the Pole despite putting her trademark grit on display in the opening set to rally from 3-0 down to level the score.
She threatened to break in the next game, pushing Swiatek to deuce twice, but the teenager demonstrated her poise by wiggling out of trouble.
Swiatek then turned the pressure on Kenin to lock up the opening set in 53 minutes.
“I knew it’s going to be tough in the final,” Swiatek says. “I didn’t want to stress a lot about it, so I just told myself that I don’t care and I tried to believe in that. I think at the end I really just enjoyed the moment. It’s not that I don’t care if I’m going to win or lose, I’m just not thinking about it all the time. I’m focusing on the things I do right now because winning is just an effect of my work that I’m doing every minute.”
The free-flowing athleticism of Swiatek took center stage once the second set commenced and she cracked winners with authority.
Kenin, however, couldn’t come up with a proper reply to Swiatek’s forceful game. She even went off court to have her left thigh retaped after the third game.
“She obviously played a really good match,” Kenin says. “She’s really hot right now, playing some really great tennis. I’m not going to use this as an excuse, but my leg obviously was not the best. It’s obviously disappointing.”
Iga!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Congratulations