US Open 2022: Top-ranked Iga Swiatek wins in Queens for first time in straight sets

Iga Swiatek was the top-ranked player for a reason, and she proved why on Saturday afternoon in Flushing Meadows.

Swiatek took down No. 5 Ons Jabeur in straight sets (6-2, 7-6) to win the first U.S. Open women’s final of her career.

It is also Swiatek’s third grand slam victory, making her the youngest three-time winner since Maria Sharapova. Swiatek won the French Open in both 2020 and earlier this year.

Jabeur admitted after winning her semifinal match on Thursday that there was pressure on her in this tournament, considering she had made the final in the Wimbledon Championships in July. 

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But she didn’t handle it with ease early on – she had four double faults when she was trailing the second set 3-0 after being dominated in the first and had her serve broken four out of eight times.

She knew she had to get things going, and that she did. 

Trailing 3-0, she fought all the way back to bring the second set to a tiebreak, including staving off two potential championship-winning games (Swiatek also had a championship point).

The tiebreaker went back and forth, with neither leading by more than two points, but Swiatek took it home, 7-5.

Swiatek defeated Jabeur in the Internazionali BNL D’Italia women’s singles tournament final in Rome this past May, but Jabeur defeated her in the Round of 16 at the 2021 Wimbledon Championships.

The men’s final between No. 3 Carlos Alcaraz and No. 5 Casper Ruud will take place Sunday at 4 p.m. ET.