11-6-2023 (PARIS) World No. 1 Iga Swiatek displayed her resilience and skill as she clinched her third French Open singles title in a row at Roland Garros, defeating Karolina Muchova from the Czech Republic in a thrilling match on Saturday.
The Polish tennis star, who already boasts four Grand Slam trophies, sealed a hard-fought 6-2, 5-7, 6-4 victory after an intense battle lasting two hours and 46 minutes. The match concluded with an unexpected double fault from Muchova.
With this victory, Swiatek became the first woman since Justine Henin in 2007 to secure back-to-back French Open titles.
Reflecting on her emotions after the match, Swiatek expressed her happiness but also acknowledged the physical and mental exhaustion of the past three weeks. She remarked on the challenge of maintaining focus during such a lengthy tournament and clay court swing, having not returned home since the Stuttgart tournament. Swiatek credited her resilience and newfound confidence in her own strength.
Throughout the tournament, Swiatek had not dropped a set in the previous six matches. However, in the final, she faced a strong fightback from Muchova, which pushed her to her limits.
Muchova managed to break Swiatek’s serve and take the lead in the deciding set twice. However, Swiatek demonstrated her determination by breaking back and holding a crucial service in the ninth game to secure a 5-4 advantage. In the final game, Muchova’s double fault handed Swiatek the victory.
Swiatek admitted that the match was a roller-coaster ride with numerous ups and downs. She relied on her intuition and tried to loosen up to enhance her performance.
This was Swiatek’s toughest Grand Slam final to date, as she had previously claimed victory in her three previous finals with straight-set wins. Overwhelmed with emotions, the 20-year-old Swiatek burst into tears when Muchova committed the double fault that sealed the match.
During the award ceremony, Swiatek expressed her admiration for Muchova’s versatility on the court and expressed hope for future encounters in finals.
In their previous encounter in the round of 32 at the 2019 Prague Open, Muchova had defeated Swiatek 4-6, 6-1, 6-4.
Despite her loss in the final, Muchova had already achieved a significant career breakthrough by reaching her first Grand Slam final. The 26-year-old Czech, ranked world No. 43, had shown her resilience in the semifinals by mounting a comeback from a 5-2 deficit in the deciding set to defeat the reigning Australian Open champion.
While feeling the bitter disappointment of coming so close, Muchova expressed pride in her achievement as a Grand Slam finalist. She considers it a great motivation for her future endeavors and hopes to have more opportunities to compete for titles.
Swiatek began the final with great momentum, winning 12 of the first 15 points to take a commanding 3-0 lead in the opening set. She continued her dominance by breaking Muchova’s serve again in the eighth game, securing the set.
The second set started similarly, with Swiatek breaking early to take a 3-0 lead. However, Muchova fought back strongly, breaking Swiatek’s serve to level the set at 3-3 and eventually winning it 7-5. Swiatek faced a challenge but remained determined to avoid any regrets from the previous set.
Under immense pressure, Swiatek managed to break back after Muchova took the lead twice in the deciding set. In the ninth game, Swiatek saved a crucial break point, ultimately holding her serve to secure a 5-4 lead. The match concluded with Muchova’s third double fault, solidifying Swiatek’s victory.
Swiatek’s exceptional performance at the French Open ensures her continued reign as the world No. 1. Meanwhile, Muchova’s impressive run in Paris will propel her back into the top 20 rankings.
