Poland's Iga Swiatek kisses the trophy after winning the final match of the French Open tennis tournament against Sofia Kenin of the U.S. in two sets 6-4, 6-1, at the Roland Garros stadium in Paris, France, Saturday, Oct. 10
Unseeded and ranked merely 54th, Iga Swiatek, all of just 19, never looked in discomfort at any moment in her maiden Grand Slam final on Sunday. And would she? The Polish teenager swept past 2018 champion Simona Halep and 2019 runner-up Marketa Vondrousova, both by scores of 6-1, 6-2. So a comfortable win was all that was expected, even as he played two-years elder and a Grand Slam winner, Sofia Kenin, who only earlier this year had claimed her maiden major with an Australian Open haul. And in roughly an hour and a half, Swiatek secured a dominating 6-4, 6-1 win against Kenin to continue the trend of maiden Grand Slam winners on women's singles.
“It’s crazy. Two years ago, I won a junior Grand Slam, and right now I’m here. It feels like such a short time,” Swiatek said, her voice cracking. "I’m just overwhelmed.”
It has indeed been a story to tell for Swiatek. It was only her seventh Grand Slam appearance and she never made it past the quarters in any of those seven events. But Swiatek played without a different maturity over the last two weeks at the Stade Roland Garros, sweeping past the top-seeded, the former runners up and three other surprise entrants.
Here are all the numbers Swiatek's maiden Grand Slam haul...
1 Swiatek became the first Polish tennis player, male or female, to win a Grand Slam trophy. In men's tennis, Jerzy Filip Janowicz had come the closest when he had qualified for the 2013 Wimbledon semifinal before losing to Andy Murray. The closest after Swiatek is former world no.2 Agnieszka Radwańska, who had reached the Wimbledon final in 2012 but lost to Serena Williams in a three-setter.
2 She is the second unseeded player after 2017 champion Jelena Ostapenko to win a French Open title. Other unseeded players include - Sloane Stephens (2017 US Open, ranked 83), Kim Clijsters (2009 US Open, not ranked), Serena Williams (2007 Australian Open, ranked 81) and Chris O'Neil (1978 Australian Open, ranked 111).
3 Swiatek is the third player since the start of this millennium to reach a Grand Slam final and win it on seven or fewer appearances. Maria Sharapova won 2004 Wimbledon in her seventh appearance, while Bianca Andreescu won the 2019 US Open on her fourth appearance.
4 She is the fourth player after Mats Wilander (1982 French Open), Gustavo Kuerten (1997 French Open) and Ostapenko to win the French Open as their first tour-level trophy.
28 games were dropped by the Polish across seven matches en route to her French Open title. She stands tied at the second spot with Chris Evert who as well dropped 28 games en route to her 1978 title at Roland Garros. Steffi Graf leads the chart having dropped 20 games in 1988 victory. She is also the first woman to win in Paris without conceding a set since Justine Henin in 2007. She is also the fourth teenager to win the French Open without dropping a set after Evonne Goolagong (1971), Evert and Graf.
9 Swiatek becomes the ninth first-time Grand Slam winner in the last 14 women's singles major. The list includes - Ostapenko, Stephens, Caroline Wozniacki, Halep, Naomi Osaka, Ashleigh Barty, Andreescu, Kenin.
19 years 132 days, Swiatek is the youngest French Open winner since an 18-year-old Monica Seles had lifted the trophy in 1992.
