The top-ranked player in the world, Iga Swiatek, won her second major championship of 2022 by defeating the fifth-seeded Tunisian Ons Jabeur in the US Open.
The final Grand Slam title of the season was won on the hard courts of New York by Poland’s Swiatek, age 21, after a 6-2 7-6 (7-5) victory.
The 28-year-old Jabeur found his footing in the second set after losing the first by a lopsided score, but it was not enough to prevent Swiatek from winning his third major championship.
Prior victories for Swiatek at the French Open both occurred on clay.
Jabeur also suffered a defeat in the Wimbledon championship match in July, and she is still without one of tennis’ four most coveted crowns.
The Flushing Meadows final had the top two WTA Tour players of the year going head-to-head, but Swiatek’s performance mostly highlighted the significant gap between her and the competition.
With Jabeur rising to a joint career-high rating of second after making it to the final, Swiatek still holds the top spot in the world and would have even if she had lost.
Iga Swiatek demonstrates excellence and tenacity
Swiatek has grabbed the chance to replace Ashleigh Barty as the tour’s dominant player since Barty, an Australian who once held the number one ranking, announced her retirement in March.
She compiled a 37-match winning streak earlier this year, which helped her win six straight titles, including the French Open at Roland Garros.
Swiatek’s run in Wimbledon’s fourth round ended as it went through a downturn, but she has gradually reclaimed her dominance in New York.
The competition included her greatest performance.
“Not much was what I had expected. It was a very difficult period before this tournament, “Swiatek acknowledged that the lighter balls used by the women at the US Open bothered her and that she didn’t like them.
The 2020 French Open was Swiatek’s first major title, and she had won all nine of her prior finals without dropping a set. So, with a strong start, Swiatek laid the groundwork for another triumph.
In the second set, she had to display resiliency though occasionally.
After failing to convert either of her first two break points for a 4-0 advantage, Swiatek unexpectedly found herself tied at 4-4. She then saved three break points to stop Jabeur from going up 5-4.
After falling 30-0 behind and giving up his first championship point with a sloppy forehand in the 12th game, Jabeur’s struggles on the scoreboard began to show.
The opportunity was lost when Swiatek switched her racquet and hit a backhand long, but she recovered in the tie-break and won the match when Jabeur played a forehand long to give herself a second championship point.
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Swiatek, the first woman to win seven titles in a season since Serena Williams in 2014, and her opponent exchanged a heartfelt embrace in the middle of the court before Swiatek celebrated in front of her squad.
Jabeur is “working hard” to win her first grand slam
In contrast, Jabeur appeared upset as she sat with her head in her hands and reflected on her second consecutive loss in a Grand Slam final.
After losing to Kazakhstan’s Elena Rybakina at Wimbledon in July, Jabeur said she had gained new insight going into the match.
She started out quickly there before losing steam. She was punished for starting slowly in this situation.
Jabeur barely connected on 48% of her first serves in the opening set. Swiatek, who has won more returning games than any other player this year, pounced with persistent returning to seal the victory after only 30 minutes.
In the second set, Jabeur’s serving got better, but she committed more unforced errors and couldn’t take advantage of Swiatek’s modest decline.
