‘Thank you tennis… I appreciate everything that you are giving me’, says French Open champion Iga Swiatek

Paris: World No 1 Iga Swiatek, who clinched the 2022 French Open singles title, has revealed that sometimes tennis is challenging but she appreciated her profession for giving her everything.

The Pole star won her second French Open title after defeating American teenager Coco Gauff 6-1, 6-3 in the final on Saturday. It was Swiatek’s 35th consecutive win and she tied Venus Williams for the best winning streak this century.

Venus’ historic run of 35 straight victories came in 2000. If the World No 1 manages to win her next match, she will hold the best winning streak of the century alone, and tie Monica Seles’s 36-match run from 1990. Another victory after that would tie her with Martina Hingis’s 37-match winning streak from 1997.

“The one thing that I’ve learned over these two years is that all you can do and all you can control is your work. Your effort, your engagement,” Swiatek wrote on Instagram.

“So together with my team we just try every single day, step by step. And here we are – in this amazing moment, with this incredible achievement. It’s time to reflect on that a little bit, enjoy, click “pause” button, take some rest, and appreciate every single thing.

“Thank you tennis. Sometimes you’re challenging but I appreciate everything that you’re giving me.”

Swiatek’s latest triumph was her sixth title of the year, all coming in a row during her winning streak (following Doha, Indian Wells, Miami, Stuttgart and Rome). She also became the first player to win six titles in a row since Justine Henin in 2007 and 2008.

The 21-year old also became the youngest woman to win multiple majors since Maria Sharapova won her second Grand Slam title aged 19 at the 2006 US Open.

–IANS