By Scoop Malinowski
On Tuesday August 25th, Iga Swiatek was practicing on Louis Armstrong Stadium with Petra Martic and her form was devastating on that day, as she fired first strike winners all over the court. The world no. 1 sustained that astounding level through her seven matches to win her third Grand Slam title yesterday at the US Open against Ons Jabeur.
21 year old Swiatek defeated the Tunisian woman earlier this year in their last meeting, only yielding four games in Rome. Iga started her first US Open final like a dynamo, winning twelve of the first fourteen points for a quick 3-love lead.
But then Jabeur responded by raising her performance, to hit five clean winners in the next two games. But Swiatek regained control with her effective serve and she broke Jabeur twice to take the first set 6-2. There were no deuce games in the first set.
The second set was a grueling physical battle and Jabeur actually held a 5-4 advantage in the second set tiebreaker however Swiatek blasted a forehand winner up the line that landed centimeters inside the sideline. Jabeur groaned in dissatisfaction at the kill shot. That shot indeed would prove fatal to Jabeur’s hopes. Swiatek won the final two points. The last point of the tournament was a cross court Jabeur forehand that sailed long. Swiatek fell to the court on her back in joy and relief.
It was the second Grand Slam title for Swiatek in 2022 – she won Roland Garros for the second time earlier this year vs Coco Gauff. Swiatek is the first woman to win Grand Slam titles in a year since Angelique Kerber won the US Open and Australian Open in 2016. Jabeur also lost the Wimbledon final earlier this summer to Elena Rybakina.
“It’s hard to describe it in one sentence. But I’m just super proud of myself because it wasn’t easy match, even though at the beginning I was dominating, I knew it’s going to be tight and I knew that Ons is going to use any mistake that I’m going to make. I didn’t want to back out,” Swiatek said after. “In the second set, it got really physical action and I’m happy that I got my level of energy up little bit more so I could finish and be really precise in those moments where I needed that. We played on a really good level today.”
Jabeur: “I have nothing to regret because I did everything possible. I wish I served little bit better today. It would have helped me a lot. Iga, how she plays in finals … It’s very enough to beat her. I will keep positive and work on the things that was missing today.”
During the trophy presentation, hosted by Mary Joe Fernandez and Martina Navratilova, Swiatek wore her blue Asics cap, which is a violation of ATP and WTA rules. Earlier this year Reilly Opelka was fined a four-figure amount for wearing his Fila cap during the trophy ceremony for winning the Dallas Open vs Jenson Brooksby.
Swiatek, now 10-1 in finals, will be able to pay the penalty as she earned $2.6m for winning yesterday (not counting bonus rewards from her sponsors Technifibre and Asics) – Jabeur won $1.3m for being runner-up.
1ga · Asics · Iga Swiatek · Ons Jabeur · Poland · Technifibre · US Open
Scoop Malinowski · September 11, 2022 at 9:47 am
Interesting tweet by one veteran tennis insider: Funny thing about Iga Swiatek….I don’t think there has ever been a No. 1 seed at the #USOpen who has received as little hype or attention than Swiatek… first Serena Williams got the attention, then Coco Gauff, then Ons Jabeur…
Scoop Malinowski · September 11, 2022 at 2:03 pm
Just got a phone call from an insider and the word is all is not happy sailing on Iga team. The revelations were the psychologist has too much influence and power (and is not a very nice person). The coach, apparently unhappy with the situation, departed NYC about an hour after the match, took the first flight out.
catherine · September 11, 2022 at 2:17 pm
Although she’s only 21 Swiatek has been around for a while, first on the margins as a promising junior and then rising quickly to the position she’s in today. She’s also articulate and intelligent and seemingly not after the spotlight. The Polish support for her today was incredible – with that, who needs hype ?
You can have the IT factor and not be the greatest player. Raducanu fills that role. The camera swoons over her. Drives some people mad but she can’t help it.
Gauff gets the hype in the US but I wonder about her future.
catherine · September 11, 2022 at 2:24 pm
Scoop – what would you do without ‘insiders’ ? If things aren’t perfect on Iga’s team she’ll sort it out. Meanwhile I’ll wait to read proof of this piece of gossip.
Scoop Malinowski · September 11, 2022 at 2:26 pm
Catherine, Iga was not a hyped up junior though she did win an early junior slam at Wimbledon, she focused on making it as a pro at 16 and 17 instead of lingering in juniors. She was never hyped up before she won her first major. She came up slowly and quietly under the radar. Iga first caught my eye in 2018 when she was 16. https://www.tennis-prose.com/articles/scoop/prospect-alert-iga-swiatek/
Scoop Malinowski · September 11, 2022 at 2:35 pm
Here is my second article about Iga when she was 17 at AO… https://www.tennis-prose.com/articles/scoop/quiet-iga-swiatek-makes-big-statement-at-ao/
Scoop Malinowski · September 11, 2022 at 2:41 pm
Catherine, you love the inside info ) Curious that the coach left town asap. We’ll see how that plays out. Doubting if he received a bonus for coaching Iga to this major title.
catherine · September 12, 2022 at 1:12 am
Pretty good summing up of Swiatek now:
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2022/sep/11/iga-swiateks-season-of-supremacy-is-the-hallmark-of-a-serial-champion
catherine · September 12, 2022 at 5:27 am
From a postmatch interview – doesn’t sound like dissension to me.
On Iga’s improved ability to find solutions on court:
I think it’s not only about having solutions but being able to find them in the right moments. I see much more difference in my emotional state after I lose a set right now compared to how it was a couple of years ago. I’m able to process a little bit more and find these solutions. When I can find them I have more confidence that it’s going to work because I have more skills tennis-wise.
Being able to control my emotions a little bit more and not panic as much on court, I’m really grateful for because I’ve been working with Daria [Abramowicz] for such a long time and I feel like it really paid off in those important matches and it’s an important process. So this mental part really complements itself with the technical and tactical stuff that I improved with Tomasz [Wiktorowski].
Scoop Malinowski · September 12, 2022 at 7:40 am
Catherine, of course the new champion is going to say all the right things, I’m just telling you what I was told by an insider who was there and has no agendas. No doubt Iga is a super champion with a limitless future. Let’s see if the tennis establishment really wants her as the face of the sport and if they make the proper efforts to promote her like Coco, Emma and Osaka and Serena were heavily promoted and invested in.
catherine · September 12, 2022 at 8:14 am
Not sure what you mean by the ‘establishment’. Makes no sense to me in Britain. Is it just the WTA ?
Anyway, Swiatek will be the face of tennis in Poland, and as for Osaka, that hasn’t ended too well, at least not as far as continuing achievements in tennis are concerned.
Scoop Malinowski · September 12, 2022 at 10:22 am
Catherine, are you aware that corruption is a massive problem in pro tennis right now and that there is a tennis deep state calling the shots?
catherine · September 12, 2022 at 1:30 pm
That’s a bit vague. I’d like some names, dates, places.
Meanwhile I’ll just go on existing in a bubble of innocence.