Iga Swiatek won her maiden WTA Finals title and the year-end No.1 ranking on Monday by defeating Jessica Pegula in straight sets 6-1, 6-0, the latest in a string of strong performances. Swiatek extended her winning streak to 11 matches and improved to 68-11 with six trophies in 2023, including her fourth Grand Slam triumph at the French Open in June. Swiatek’s victory allows her to reclaim her No.1 ranking, which she held from April 2022 until this September, when she lost it to Aryna Sabalenka during the US Open. Swiatek defeated the Belarusian in a semifinal in Cancun that began Saturday, was delayed by weather, and was completed on Sunday.
Pegula became the first woman to face each of the top four players in the world at the same event, defeating No.1 Sabalenka and No.4 Elena Rybakina in the group stage, then No.3 Coco Gauff in the semis before facing No.2 Swiatek. Pegula hadn’t lost a set since Saturday when she defeated her doubles partner, US Open champion Gauff. The 29-year-old Pegula was vying to become the oldest first-time WTA Finals champion and to win the most important prize of her career.
Swiatek, on the other hand, ended Pegula’s nine-match winning streak. As Pegula tried to find her range in a 59-minute contest, the 22-year-old Pole was in a clinical mood. Swiatek took charge from the start, winning the following 11 games with her high-quality baseline game, seldom committing an unforced error and consistently pressing Pegula into errors.
Swiatek got off to a fast start, breaking in the fourth game to grab a 3-1 lead before speeding away to win the opening set in 27 minutes. It was the first set either woman had lost in the tournament, and Pegula, the world number five, dropped her serve for the third time in the first game of the second set. Swiatek was dominating her opponent and broke to love to go up 3-0 on her route to triumph. Swiatek finished with more winners, 9-6, and far fewer unforced errors, 23-6. She broke Pegula five times while facing only one break point herself.
The team that’s been with me the whole season, we had many ups and downs, Swiatek said after winning the title. This is for sure an up. We will for sure have many more if we keep working like that, added Swiatek, who lost just 20 games across the tournament which is a new record.
