Iga Swiatek, the world’s top player, defeated Ons Jabeur of Tunisia in the US Open final on Saturday with a commanding 6-2 7-6(5) victory to win her first trophy at Flushing Meadows and third Grand Slam title.
After winning the closely contested second-set tiebreak and sealing the victory when the fifth seed’s shot went long, Poland’s Swiatek collapsed to the ground and buried her face with her hands.
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Swiatek said, “I really needed to stay composed and stay focused on the goals,” when the trophy was presented on the court.
“It’s New York, it’s so loud, it’s so crazy. I’m so proud I could handle it mentally,” she added.
Swiatek, who has won the French Open twice, won her first major championship on a hard court, and at age 21, she became the first Polish woman to win the U.S. Open.
Jabeur will reclaim her world number two status after the tournament is over on Sunday, despite the loss.
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At Wimbledon, Jabeur made history by becoming the first Arab woman to compete in a major championship. As the first African woman to compete in the U.S. Open final, she furthered the chronicles of New York history.
“Hopefully I can inspire more and more generations,” Jabeur said. “This is just the beginning of so many things.”
On Saturday, Swiatek came out strong and quickly built a 3-0 lead by using her crisp serve and powerful groundstrokes to force Jabeur to the back of the court.
Jabeur used her forehand’s range to win back-to-back games for a 3-2 lead, but Swiatek broke back and won the 30-minute opening set when the Tunisian’s backhand hit the net.
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Swiatek, a self-assured front-runner, applied pressure early in the second as Jabeur’s aggravation level rose. Jabeur dropped her racket in disappointment as her typically reliable drop shot missed the net in the second game of the set.
The match appeared to be over when Swiatek hammered a backhand winner down the line for a 3-0 lead in the second set.
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But Jabeur fought back to force a tiebreak with the help of a boisterous and encouraging crowd at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
She did, however, commit several expensive unforced errors that gave Swiatek the opportunity to win. Swiatek then gave the Tunisian a heartfelt embrace after advancing to a 3-2 lifetime record against her.