Iga Siwiatek is once again the Queen of Klee.
Poland’s world number one Swiatek won the French Open women’s singles title on Saturday after defeating Czech Republic’s Karolina Muchova.
Muchova, whose smooth, athletic play has long been one of the sport’s best kept secrets, struggled with early errors but found form and scored the final goal for Swiatek, a clinical and relentless approach that she has cultivated over the years. forced her to use by any means possible. She was the top player in the world for her over a year and then some.
Siwiatek defeated Muchova 6-2, 5-7, 6-4 in a breathtaking and eventful battle that marked one of the most spectacular stage moments in sports. When Muchova’s second serve rolled into the net on Siwiatek’s first match point, when Muchova came to the net and gave her a hug of congratulations, Siwiatek dropped his racket and put her hands to her eyes. rice field.
Before long, it became increasingly common to see Swiatek appearing in the stands to celebrate with the team and exchange quiet words with sports psychologist Daria Abramović. steel champion.
Siwiatek has been virtually unbeatable at Roland Garros since 2020. With her victory on Saturday, she won her third French Open singles title in four years. Since 2019, her 28-2 record in tournaments leading up to the finals may not match Rafael Nadal’s 112-3 record, but given the time, it is. Siwiatek, who just turned 22 last week, has said little to suggest her growth will slow going forward.
Aside from the occasional battle with her spirit, she seems to be getting better every year, especially at the French Open, which she loves more than any other tournament.
For Muchova, the final capped off a spectacular comeback from a year ago when she was forced to withdraw from the Roland Garros third round singles match with a sprained ankle. The injury was the latest in a string of ailments that many coaches, players and professionals had been unaware of in her potential over the years.
The loss dropped her out of the top 200 and forced her to compete in a series of smaller tournaments to regain her place. She entered the tournament ranked 43rd in the world, but few believed there were 42 women in tennis better than Muchova.
But playing in a Grand Slam final for the first time can be a challenge for any player, especially against the best in the world. Siwiatek was doing well through the first five matches of the tournament. She won four of her first six sets without allowing a match. She then lost only seven games in her next two matches.
Brazil’s Beatriz Haddad Maia made Siwiatek a bit uncomfortable in the semi-final, pushing her around the court and into a tiebreaker in the second set, but good reason to believe she will lift the trophy at the end of the day. advanced to the final with
That belief was reinforced in the opening minutes of the match, as the fluidity and combination of power and finesse that Muchova plays on her best days was nowhere to be seen. She hit the ball wide and long and slammed an easy shot into the middle of the net, giving Swirtek too many free points.
There’s no clock that regulates the length of a tennis match, but much of the sport is about controlling time—knowing the situation while finding ways to rush your opponent so they don’t have a chance to reach the ball. . How to give yourself all the time in the world. It’s been a signature of Siwiatek for over a year, and is exactly what she did to Muchova on Saturday.
There was a time two years ago when she was one of the most creative players in the world. Her game featured her crouching backhand and her forehand repertoire with six different spins. There was artistry in everything, but she didn’t win as many.
Now, Siwiatek doesn’t build up enough points to grab points, but instead aims for a winner with a big spinning forehand at the first chance. The shorter your point, the less you have to think about.
She never lets up and faces the game. She tries to dominate from the beginning. After one point, she rushes like a train to start her next point, running through sets and matches as if she’s got tickets to a Taylor Swift concert.
For Muchova to have a chance, she needed to find enough time to increase points, control the clock and feel comfortable on the biggest stage of her career.
Siwiatek broke Muchova’s serve for the first time and took the lead after just seven minutes. She was leading 6-2, 3-0 at the hour mark, but Muchova was still trying to find footing.
And she did. Shot by shot, point by point, game by game, she did. Her strokes became crisp and precise, her points stretched, and she gracefully slipped into the shot as if she were dancing. Her volley was poignant as a crowd of more than 15,000 fans shouted her name and cheered her on.
Siwiatek staggered and the sets were even after two hours into the match. Two minutes later Muchova broke Światek’s serve three times in a row to take the lead for the first time of the day.
Since 2019, Muchova and Światek haven’t competed in an official match until both have established themselves at the top. Since then, however, they have practiced many times and Swiatek has praised Muchova’s talent.
“It’s a great touch,” Swirtek said of his rival. “She can also speed up the game. She, I don’t know, she’s playing with that kind of free movement. And she has great technique.”
It was all on Saturday in one of the greatest Grand Slam finals in recent memory, the biggest stage in sports. Sprinting for an irreversible lead, Siwiatek stumbled when Muchova found his form, then fought through two service breakdowns in the deciding set to find the answer and the shot he needed.
Siwiatek has never lost a Grand Slam final and has won all of his matches in straight sets. One of the few questions was how she would react if she was forced into the crucible in the third set with everything at stake.
It didn’t look good at first. She opened the deciding set with a double fault to give Muchova another serve break that seemed to end with Muchova jumping to a 2-0 lead.
Longtime tennis commentator Mary Carrillo likes to divide players into two groups: those with fangs and those without, those who not only win head-on but also enjoy the chance to brawl and fight to the last ball. and those who are not. the person who stuffs it.
Muchova showed her teeth in the semi-finals and Saturday’s comeback. Now it’s Siphiatech’s turn. She regained the lead by scoring 12 of her next 14 points, but Muchova took it back and the third set was a rollercoaster.
She lunged forward behind the deep ball that drove Swirtek, finishing the point with touches, blasts and line-pasting swipes, then held her own serve to break Swirtek’s serve and take a 4-3 advantage. Earned. An ill-timed drop shot landed under the net, and it lasted seven minutes until Siwiatek again heard her deafening chants of her name to the beat of the bass drum.
“It was close, but it was still far, but that’s what happens when you play with the best,” Muchova said, holding the silver medal runner-up plate.
As Muchova continued to serve and stay in the match, Siwiatek nailed the target to Muchova’s feet for a return, then put Muchova on her heels and quickly drove her into the hole. Double match point came when Muchova pulled a forehand wide. Muchova’s double fault gave Siphiatek the title of Klee’s Queen for another year.
“I’m sorry for what happened,” she told the team at the awards ceremony.
Four Grand Slam finals. 4 winning trophies. top of the world. Siphiatek doesn’t seem too difficult.
