Iga Swiatek thanks fans after WTA Finals triumph: “Even though this week wasn’t easy, you made it special for us”

Modified Nov 07, 2023 05:15 GMT

Iga Swiatek’s tribute to the crowd after defeating Jessica Pegula to claim maiden WTA Finals trophy

Iga Swiatek capped off a stellar season with a straight-set victory over America's Jessica Pegula in the final of the 2023 WTA Finals in Cancun on Monday, November 6.

The 22-year-old also regained the World No.1 ranking from Aryna Sabalenka with her first title at the prestigious season-ending event, where she dropped only 20 games in five matches.

Swiatek became the first Polish player to win the WTA Finals, registering her 68th win this season. She also extended her winning streak to 11 matches, having won the China Open earlier this month before coming to Cancun.

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Swiatek thanked the fans and her opponent in her victory speech during the award commemoration ceremony.

"Thank you, guys, for shouting our names and everything, even though this week wasn't easy, you really made it special for us," Swiatek said. "Jesse[Jessica Pegula], I wanted to congratulate you for the whole season and for your consistency throughout. Hopefully, we both progress and play many more finals together and your team as well."

The 22-year-old also thanked her family and team later in the speech.

"I want to thank my family and my team. It's not often when my dad is here, so thanks for coming and supporting me. The team that has been with me for the whole season, we've had many ups and downs, but this is for sure an up. And we'll for sure have many more if we keep working like that," Swiatek added.

A look at Iga Swiatek's performance in the 2023 WTA Finals

Iga Swiatek started her campaign in the Chetumal Group, where she faced reigning Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova in her opening match. She prevailed in a tight first set that went to a tie-break, before cruising in the second set to win 7-6(3), 6-0.

Swiatek then faced Coco Gauff, who had won the US Open in September. She turned out to be too strong for the American, winning 6-0, 7-5. In her final group match, she faced sixth seed Ons Jabeur, eventually prevailing in straight sets, 6-1, 6-2.

Swiatek finished the group stage with a perfect 3-0 record and advanced to the semifinals, where she met the former World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka. The Pole produced a stunning performance to win 6-3, 6-2.

In the final, Iga Swiatek faced Jessica Pegula, who had beaten her twice this season, but this time the American had no answer to Swiatek’s power and precision in the final. The former prevailed in straight sets, 6-1, 6-0.

About the author

Shashank, a tennis journalist at Sportskeeda, joined the company about a year and a half ago. Despite his background in software engineering, his passion for the sport drove him to switch gears and dive into full-time journalism before which he worked as a tech writer.

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Edited by Neha