By CNN
—
World No. 1 Iga Świątek won her third consecutive French Open title on Saturday with an emphatic 6-2 6-1 victory against Italy’s Jasmine Paolini.
The win – Świątek’s fifth grand slam crown and fourth at Roland Garros – underlines the Polish superstar’s dominance on clay, extending her winning run at the tournament to 21 matches.
She is the first woman since Justine Henin in 2007 to win three consecutive French Open titles, dismantling first-time grand slam finalist Paolini in just an hour and eight minutes.
The 12th seed came into the final as a heavy underdog against Świątek but took a surprise lead at the start of the first set when she broke her decorated opponent’s serve.
Świątek’s response, however, was swift and brutal. She won the next 10 games in a row to put the match well beyond Paolini’s reach, and when the 28-year-old finally got back on the board, it was all too late.
At 5-1 in the second set, Świątek only had to hold her serve to win, which she did when Paolini lofted a backhand return long.
Another title secured, Świątek sunk to her knees in delight before climbing into the stands to embrace her team.
In the later stages of this year’s French Open, Świątek has been unmatched, dropping just 17 games across the past five matches.
But for all her superiority, she was almost ousted from the tournament by Naomi Osaka in the second round. The former world No. 1 had a match point, which Świątek saved and then rallied to win the match.
That has been her only blip in an otherwise phenomenal tournament. The 23-year-old has now won 19 matches in a row, collecting titles in Madrid, Rome and now Paris.
In the final, she hit 18 winners, wrapped up three game to love, and faced only one break point.
“I love this place, I wait every year to come back here,” Świątek said in her on-court interview. “I was almost out of the tournament in the second round so thank you for staying with me, it’s been a really emotional tournament. To everyone at home, my sister, my family, my sponsors – thank you for the constant support.”
Paolini, meanwhile, was comprehensively outhit by Świątek on Court Philippe-Chatrier
However, she will soon be a top 10 player for the first time in her career after an impressive run in Paris, having two weeks ago never progressed past the second round of the French Open, nor the fourth round of a grand slam.
“Congratulations to everyone who made this tournament possible,” Paolini said in her on-court interview.
“(It has been) the best days of my life, it’s still going because tomorrow I have the doubles final … It’s been a very intense 15 days and I’m really happy and proud of myself and my team to be here. Today was tough but I’m really proud of myself anyway.”
Beaten only twice at the French Open, Świątek follows Monica Seles and Henin by claiming a third consecutive women’s singles titles at Roland Garros in the Open Era.
It’s also the first time that a women’s player has completed a three-peat at the same major tournament since Serena Williams at the US Open 10 years ago.
Just two women – Chris Evert (seven) and Steffi Graf (six) – have won more French Open titles than Świątek, and she will surely keep adding to her legacy with a long career still ahead of her.
Even prior to the final, Świątek was asked about comparisons to Rafael Nadal, who has won a record 14 singles titles at Roland Garros.
“We’ll see in 14 years if the journey is similar,” she said, before – in her usual self-deprecating style – explaining that she was “proud” to be mentioned in the same sentence as the Spaniard.
That comparison, it seems, will only grow stronger in the years to come.
