Iga Swiatek successfully defended her title with a resounding win at the 2023 French Open
She defeated Karolina Muchova
She says Roland Garros is now one of her favourite places on tour
Iga Swiatek successfully defended her title with a resounding win at the 2023 French Open after defeating her opponent Karolina Muchova.
It was one of the most thrilling women’s singles finals at the Philippe-Chatrier arena held on Saturday.
Swiatek abruptly appeared lost with so many incorrect motions and it appeared that she wasn’t confident enough. Her significant early lead also disappeared as Muchova proved to be a tough opponent.
The Pole had lost it all and she kept throwing glances to her coach and psychologist who were on the stand seemingly for guidance.
Everything seemed off until she was two games away from losing to unseeded Muchova. This awakening pushed her to her element and she turned the game with a show of aggression, and decisiveness.
Swiatek defeated Muchova 6-2, 5-7, 6-4 to win her third career French Open title and fourth Grand Slam title. She overcame a second-set crisis and a third-set deficit to rewrite history in an unbelievable scene.
Iga Swiatek successfully defended her French Open title on Saturday in a tensed match which she redeemed herself at the end of the second and third sets respectively. Photo/EuroSport
Swiatek says Roland Garros is now her favourite place on the WTA Tour.
She jumped out to an early 3-0 lead at Court Philippe Chatrier, looking as relaxed as possible, winning 12 of the first 15 points. She also led 3-0 in the second set before Muchova added some intrigue.
Swiatek appeared off-balance, struggling to make the appropriate strokes while also being perplexed as to why.
It’s legal for players to speak with their coaches, but whatever Tomasz Wiktorowski or sports psychologist Daria Abramowicz tried to tell Swiatek, it either didn’t go through or didn’t sink in immediately.
Muchova won five of the six games to even the match at one set apiece. She continued to gain ground in the decisive set, twice leading by a break.
It was at that point that Swiatek resumed playing her customary brand of crisp, clean tennis, darting across the red clay with excellent defence and picking the right moments to attempt a winner. The final three games of the match were won by her.
Iga Swiatek at the 2023 French Open. Photo/India Today
The world No. 1 dropped her racket, bowed over, and covered her face in tears as it ended on a double fault by Muchova.
Along with her victories at the US Open in September 2022, she won the French Open in 2020, and in 2022.
Her winning streak makes tennis history Since Serena Williams achieved that feat at the 2002 US Open when she was 20 years old. Swiatek is now the youngest female tennis player with four Grand Slam titles at 222 years.
Additionally, the Pole joins Monica Seles and Naomi Osaka as the only other female professionals to start 4-0 in major finals.
On her part, Muchova who played her first grand slam finals described the whole match as exciting.
“This was so close, but yet so far. That happens when you play one of the best: Iga,” she told ESPN.
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