Iga Swiatek wins her first title at Wimbledon on Saturday. She put on a master class, utterly destroying Amanda Anisimova in the final 6-0, 6-0. The victory, which lasted just 57 minutes, made Swiatek the eighth different women’s singles champion at Wimbledon since Serena Williams’ last win in 2016. Today, this historic match stands as testimony to an important milestone in the Open Era. It was the first Wimbledon final won with a double bagel since 1911.
Swiatek’s path to this historic victory was filled with obstacles. Not long ago, her luck ran out. She then suffered a tragic defeat in the semi-final of the Paris Olympics and returned a positive test for the prohibited substance trimetazidine. In court, she proved that her melatonin medication had been contaminated. This win gave her the motivation to come back to the sport stronger than ever.
In particular, the Polish star’s dazzling play on the grass courts of Wimbledon made waves. Her tenacious retrieving and laser-beam serving left Anisimova reeling, as she never really got herself going during the contest. Swiatek’s capacity to elevate her level at key moments highlighted her incredible mental fortitude as well as mental fortitude and capacity for high-stakes competition.
This win adds to Swiatek’s already historic haul. She has now won all six of her Grand Slam finals, becoming only the third player after legends Margaret Court and Monica Seles to do so in this rarefied field. In addition, with her victory at Wimbledon, Swiatek has now won Grand Slam titles on all three playing surfaces. Among her achievements are four French Open championships and one US Open title in 2022.
Swiatek’s crowning performance at Wimbledon is a fitting capstone to Swiatek’s evolving maturity as a player. Having never enjoyed much success on the grass courts of Wimbledon, she has now shown that she is the owner of no such ceilings to her success. This monumental win puts her one step closer to a career Grand Slam. Now, only the Australian Open prevents her from reaching it, an accomplishment that so few players have completed.