Flushing Meadows, New York – Ons Jabeur (28), the two-time Grand Slam finalist, from Tunisia, was on Saturday stopped from clinching the first US Open by any African woman by world No. 1, Iga Swiatek, from Poland.
Swiatek beat Jabeur, 6-2 7-6 (7-5) in an hour and 50 minutes, to capture her first US Open singles title and her third Grand Slam title.
However, despite the defeat, Jabeur said it has been an amazing two weeks, adding that she is going to keep working hard and hopefully acquire the Grand Slam title sometime soon.
“I want to thank the crowd for cheering me up. I really tried but Iga didn’t make it easy for me. She deserved to win today. I don’t like her very much right now but it’s OK.
Winning or losing is part of tennis. I struggled to win my first WTA title. It took me time. So I believe this (winning a major) will take me time. The most important thing is accepting it, and learning from the finals that I lost.
An amazing two weeks, backing up my final in Wimbledon. I am going to keep working hard and we will get that title sometime soon. I try to push myself to do more. Hopefully, I can inspire more and more generations. This is just the beginning of so many things,” said Jabeur.
Swiatek, 21, won the French Open in 2020 and 2022, becoming the first Polish woman to win a Grand Slam singles title, and now she is the first Polish woman to win three including the US Open, where she was the first Polish woman to make the singles final.
“It’s something I wasn’t expecting. I am proud, a little surprised, and just happy I was able to do. I wasn’t sure if I was at the level yet to win a Grand Slam, especially at the US Open where the surface is so fast. It’s also like a confirmation for me that (the) the sky is the limit,” said Swiatek.
Swiatek also becomes the ninth woman to win a third major title before her 22nd birthday. Following the retirement of Australian world number one Ashleigh Barty in March, Swiatek has seized her opportunity to take over as the tour’s dominant player.
Earlier this year, she put together a 37-match winning streak that enabled her to claim six titles in a row including the French Open at Roland Garros.
With three majors, she is now closing in on Naomi Osaka, the Japanese star and former No. 1 who has won two US Opens and two Australian Opens, as the most accomplished major champion of their generation.
