New York City might not be Iga Swiatek's kind of place, but she has made an exception during this US Open fortnight.
The US Open balls, controversially lighter for the women than the men, might not be up Swiatek's street, but she made an exception for them too.
And if the match-up with Ons Jabeur in the Flushing Meadows final felt almost too close to call – most were forecasting three sets, flip a coin on the winner – well, perhaps Swiatek took exception.
Rising to the occasion of a grand slam final is what exceptional players do, making exceptions in times of need, taking exception to doubters, carrying off titles. If anyone was beginning to doubt Swiatek after her mid-summer dip, this Arthur Ashe Stadium triumph banished the thought she is anything other than exceptional.
At times her play was brilliant, and when her level dropped, as it did in the second set, she was gritty. In the end, she was not as clutch as she might have liked, unable to take a match point at 6-5 on Jabeur's serve and pushed into a tie-break, but a 6-2 7-6 (7-5) victory goes into the record books.
In the end, that's all that counts. Habitual winners find a way, down one path or another.
The second set was a curious confection, both players losing their fluency but fighting hard for every point, tenacity overriding talent at times as the high stakes involved often brought the level down.
Swiatek appeared distracted by a call from the crowd at one stage, that New York bustle again getting in her head.
On the eve of the tournament, Swiatek said of New York: "I wouldn't choose it as a place to live because I'm more of a person that needs a calm place with the proper environment to rest. New York is kind of always alive. That's not for sure my place."
So, Iga, how does New York feel now?
"It's so loud, it's so crazy," she said at Saturday's trophy presentation. "There were so many temptations in the city, so many people I've met who were so inspiring. It's really mind blowing for me and I'm so proud I could handle it mentally."
The 21-year-old has a third grand slam title and a first away from the French Open, where she was champion at the pandemic-delayed slam in October 2020 and again this year.
Swiatek is a Pole on a roll when it comes to the big occasions, having won 20 consecutive sets in finals, all tournaments considered, and remarkably she is the first woman to win two or more slams in a single season since Angelique Kerber in 2016.
These two women will be numbers one and two in the new WTA rankings, and there could be a real rivalry brewing. Or there might just be a slew of these trophies coming Swiatek's way.
She is the first women to win the French Open and the US Open in the same year since Serena Williams in 2013.
If Williams does not play again, as we now expect, then Swiatek will be a very different type of figurehead for the women's game, an introvert who goes about her business quietly, but purposefully.
She becomes just the ninth woman in the Open Era to earn a third singles slam before turning 22, joining an illustrious list also featuring Maria Sharapova, Justine Henin, Serena Williams, Venus Williams, Martina Hingis, Monica Seles, Steffi Graf and Chris Evert.
As Jabeur came charging back at Swiatek in the second set, recovering from 3-0 and 4-2 adrift to take it to the tie-break, thoughts turned to what a victory for the Tunisian would have meant.
A tournament that began as the Serena Williams show, a celebration of a player who alongside sister Venus opened the door for so many black players, might have ended with the triumph of an African Arab woman, one whose driving force is to see more players from her continent, and of her ethnicity, make strides in professional tennis.
Jabeur's time will probably come, but this defeat will sting, just as losing to Elena Rybakina in the title match did at Wimbledon two months ago.
"I want to thank the crowd for cheering me on. I really tried, but Iga didn't make it easy for me," Jabeur said. "She deserved to win today. I don't like her very much right now but it's okay."
She vowed to "get that title sometime soon", but with Swiatek around that might be difficult.
Swiatek is the second woman since the slams opened themselves up to professionals in 1968 to win her first six sets in grand slam singles finals. For the record, Lindsay Davenport was the first.
This final came at the end of a tournament that Swiatek entered with low expectations. Defeat to Alize Cornet at Wimbledon halted her 37-match winning run, the longest on the women's tour this century, and it was followed by a string of results that saw Swiatek go no further than the quarter-finals in her next three events.
"Maybe I'm the kind of person who is never going to trust myself," Swiatek said, heading into the final.
She is a different model of champion, perhaps not the kind they are used to or particularly get behind in New York. There is no razzmatazz, no edge: just intense focus.
Swiatek is always doubting, but always looking for ways to improve, and now, when it comes to finals, always getting the job done.
French Open day two: Cameron Norrie edges through to Roland Garros second round
Cameron Norrie defeated Benoit Paire and the French Open crowd to reach the second round, edging through in five sets.
The 14th seed is the only British player to make it through the first round in singles after Jack Draper was forced to retire with a shoulder problem against Tomas Etcheverry.
Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz both won their openers in straight sets while Petra Kvitova was among the women’s seeds to fall.
Picture of the dayShot of the dayTweet of the dayStat of the dayA landmark moment for 37-year-old Fognini.
Paire talking ballsPaire was not unhappy with the balls being used for this year’s tournament, saying after his loss to Norrie: “You have to hit every ball really hard because it’s not moving. It’s terrible. It’s Roland Garros, one of the greatest tournaments in the world, and we’re playing with these silly balls.”
Fallen seedsMen: Felix Auger-Aliassime (10), Jan-Lennard Struff (21), Botic Van De Zandschulp (25), Bernabe Zapata Miralles (32)
Women: Petra Kvitova (10), Veronika Kudermetova (11), Belinda Bencic (12), Karolina Pliskova (16), Martina Trevisan (26)
Who’s up next?Women’s defending champion Iga Swiatek begins her campaign on Philippe Chatrier against Spaniard Cristina Bucsa.
Fourth seed Elena Rybakina takes on Czech teenager Brenda Fruhvirtova, while Coco Gauff faces Rebeka Masarova.
In the men’s draw, second seed Daniil Medvedev meets Brazilian Thiago Seyboth Wild, and sixth seed Holger Rune faces American Chris Eubanks.
Novak Djokovic advances at French Open then sends political message about Kosovo
Novak Djokovic eased into the second round of the French Open but risked inflaming political tensions in his home region with a message about Kosovo.
After a 6-3 6-2 7-6 (1) victory over American Aleksandar Kovacevic, who is of Serbian heritage, Djokovic wrote on the camera lens: “Kosovo is the heart of Serbia. Stop the violence.”
Kosovo declared independence in 2008 but Serbia has never recognised that and violence broke out in the north of the country over the weekend after ethnic Albanian mayors were installed in Serbian-dominated areas, with NATO peacekeepers among those injured.
Serbia has troops stationed near the border and there are fears of a return to the violent conflict of 1998-99.
Speaking to Serbian journalists in comments reported by the country’s media, Djokovic, whose father was born in Kosovo, said: “I am not a politician, nor do I intend to enter into debates.
“As a Serb, it hurts me what is happening in Kosovo. Our people have been expelled from the municipalities. This is the least I could do. As a public figure, I feel an obligation to show support for our people and all of Serbia.
“I hear there was a lot of criticism on social media. I don’t know if someone will punish me or something like that, but I would do it again. I am against wars and conflicts of any kind.
“Kosovo is our heart, stronghold, the centre of the most important events, the biggest battle took place there, the most monasteries. There are many reasons why I wrote this.”
The Serbia football team were fined by FIFA at the World Cup in November after a flag showing Kosovo as part of the country was displayed in their changing room.
Djokovic is, of course, no stranger to controversy and he was dragged into a row at the Australian Open in January after his father Srdjan was pictured with pro-Russia demonstrators, which he later insisted was unwitting.
On the court, there were no real alarms for the third seed, who has struggled on clay so far this season but maintained his record of not dropping a set in the opening round in Paris since 2010.
He was broken serving for the match but responded with a strong tie-break, and said: “I think I played really well and held things under control for two-and-a-half sets and then lost my serve and things got a little bit on a wrong side for me.
“But I managed to hold my nerves and played pretty much a perfect tie-break. So overall I’m pleased and content with my level.”
Djokovic could meet Carlos Alcaraz in the semi-finals and the top seed also impressed in a 6-0 6-2 7-5 victory over Italian qualifier Flavio Cobolli, delighting a packed Suzanne Lenglen arena with some flamboyant shots.
Alcaraz won the first eight games of the match, and he said: “I felt I couldn’t lose a game. I thought that I was able to win easier than I did but a match can turn around in each game. But, at the start of the match, I felt invincible.”
Elsewhere, 10th seed Felix Auger-Aliassime’s difficulties continued as, struggling with illness, he lost in straight sets to Fabio Fognini, while another veteran, former champion Stan Wawrinka, battled past Albert Ramos-Vinolas in five sets.
The 38-year-old Swiss conducted the crowd like an orchestra at the end, and he said: “It is one of the main reasons why I keep playing. It’s to play those big tournaments like here, to have such an amazing atmosphere. I have so much support and it gives me a lot of emotion to win those matches.”
There was disappointment for former finalist Dominic Thiem, though, who remains without a grand slam victory since wrist problems two years ago after going down in five sets to Pedro Cachin.
Elina Svitolina urges tennis to focus on Ukraine support, not issues from war
Elina Svitolina urged tennis to focus on the suffering in Ukraine rather than issues the war is causing within the sport after reaching the second round of the French Open.
One of Ukraine’s highest-profile sports stars, Svitolina is playing her first grand slam since the Australian Open last year after giving birth to baby Skai in October.
She has been away from the locker room tensions caused by the decision to allow Russian and Belarusian players to continue competing and has been a prominent figure in campaigning for help for her country.
A day after Ukrainian Marta Kostyuk was booed by the Roland Garros crowd for refusing to shake hands with Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka, Svitolina called for attention to stay on the bigger picture.
She said of her return to the sport: “What I found, I don’t know a nicer way to say, but a lot of rubbish is happening around the situation where we have to focus on the main point of what is going on.
“A lot of people, Ukrainian people, need help and need support. We are focusing on so many things like empty words, empty things that are not helping the situation, not helping anything.
“I want to invite everyone to focus on helping Ukrainians. To help kids, to help women who lost their husbands, because they are at the war and they are fighting for Ukraine. The kids, they’re losing their parents, they’re losing parts of their body.
“There is so many things that we can do and help in different ways. You can donate a couple of dollars, it might help and save lives. Or donate your time. We are missing the main point of all of that and talking, talking, talking about nothing.”
Svitolina came into the tournament on the back of her first title as a mother in Strasbourg and impressed in a 6-2 6-2 victory over 26th seed Martina Trevisan.
She is donating all her prize money from Strasbourg to Ukrainian children and has her own foundation that helps her homeland.
“I think war changed me in so many ways,” she said. “I think I treasure more my family, my time with my family, my time just on a daily basis.
View this post on Instagram
“I really try to understand that how lucky I am to be where I am and to have a voice, as well. Also to play in such big events, to motivate the young kids of Ukraine, to have this opportunity.
“In so many ways, I’m just grateful that my life turned like that, so that’s why right now I just want to give this little part to the people who need it the most.”
Fifth seed Caroline Garcia is the main French hope for this fortnight and she survived a scare in her opener, beating China’s Wang Xiyu 7-6 (4) 4-6 6-4.
Two top-16 seeds fell, with lucky loser Elina Avanesyan knocking out 12th seed Belinda Bencic 6-3 2-6 6-4, while former finalist Sloane Stephens beat 16th seed Karolina Pliskova 6-0 6-4.
Afterwards, Stephens was asked about the racist abuse she experiences on social media after the tournament partnered with an AI app to try to filter out offensive messages.
“It’s obviously been a problem my entire career,” said the American. “It has never stopped. If anything, it’s only gotten worse. I did hear about the software. I have not used it.
“I have a lot of key words banned on Instagram and all of these things but that doesn’t stop someone from just typing in an asterisk or typing it in a different way, which obviously software most of the time doesn’t catch.
“When there is FBI investigations going on with what people are saying to you online, it’s very serious. People online have the free rein to say and do whatever they want behind fake pages, which is obviously very troublesome.”
SportsMax is the Caribbean sports channel of choice, committed to providing sporting content of the highest quality to the Caribbean, delivered by a team of highly innovative, passionate and qualified professionals.
(876) 619-7629
digitalmedia@sportsmax.tv
