The Rise of Iga Swiatek: A Closer Look at the Grand Slam Champion

The current best player

Now holder of four Grand Slam titles, the native of Warsaw has built up a list of achievements already worthy of those of Naomi Osaka, Kim Clijsters or Arantxa Sanchez. Since her first victory, at a Roland-Garros which was contested in the fall after the season was interrupted due to Covid-19, she has won almost one time out of three in the majors (four wins over the last eleven tournaments played). Knowing that she is not (yet) very comfortable on grass, Swiatek therefore brings a form of stability in women’s tennis.

She has never lost in a Grand Final. Until Saturday, she had even won them all in two sets, often easily. We have long believed that it would still be so against Karolina Muchova. The Czech, very tense, was only released at 6-2 3-0 for Swiatek, just before it was too late. Back to the wall, Muchova found her first serve, and with it a little confidence and her attacking game. She came back to 3-3 then served twice to equalize at one set everywhere, first at 5-4 but she was caught by the pressure (no first ball and four unforced errors), then at 6-5 where she managed to conclude after diving to the net twice to return passing attempts from Swiatek.

The victory of experience

The second set lasted 67 minutes, more than three of Iga Swiatek’s previous games. On her way, Karolina Muchova managed a white break then a white game. Was the 43rd in the world going to create the sensation, she who had won her five confrontations with Top 3 players, including Aryna Sabalenka in the semi-finals?

Tennis is a complex sport where the management of emotions counts as much as the physical, technical or tactical qualities. Abused, Iga Swiatek managed to calm down and concentrate. It came back to 0-2 to 3-2. The two players then chained breaks and unbreaks, winning shots and unforced errors. Muchova tried more, sometimes too quickly. At 4-4, Swiatek saved another break point and won his service game to lead 5-4. Was Karolina Muchova going to keep her commitment when there had been 8 breaks in the last 12 games? A double fault on the match point answered the question and Iga Swiatek could fall to his knees, in tears on the Central.