5 Milestones Iga Swiatek achieved after winning the Italian Open
Iga Swiatek continued her dominance on the women's tour, marching to her 28th consecutive win and fifth straight title this season as she tamed Ons Jabeur in their final clash at the Italian Open.
Here's a look at five records the World No. 1 carved out after her successful title defense in Rome:
#1 Iga Swiatek becomes fourth woman to win 5 or more consecutive tournaments in the 2000s
5 - Iga #Swiatek is the fourth player in 2000s to win 5+ consecutive tournaments played after Venus Williams in 2000, Justine Henin in 2007-2008 and Serena Williams in 2013. Empress.
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Iga Swiatek went 5-0 in finals this season, four of which have come at the WTA 1000 level. In the process, she became the fourth woman to win five or more consecutive events played since 2000. She thus follows Venus Williams and Justine Henin, who each won six straight tournaments they played in 2000 and 2007-08, respectively, and Serena Williams, who won five straight in 2013.
The Pole started her streak in Qatar last February, where she beat Anett Kontaveit for the title. She was unstoppable from there, scoring a rare Sunshine Double in Indian Wells and Miami against Maria Sakkari and Naomi Osaka, respectively. She then prevailed over Aryna Sabalenka in the WTA 500 in Stuttgart and secured her title defense in Rome against Jabeur.
Swiatek is also just the second player to win four or more titles at the WTA 1000 level in a single season after Serena Williams, who clinched five in 2013.
#2 Iga Swiatek has won 5 of the last 9 WTA 1000 tournaments
Iga Swiatek’s last 16 sets @WTA finals:
2020 RG: 64 61
2021 Adelaide: 62 62
2021 Rome: 60 60
2022 Doha:62 60
2022 IW: 64 61
2022 Miami: 64 60
2022 Stuttgart: 62 62
2022 Rome: 62 62
She has now won 5 of the last 9 WTA 1000s. https://t.co/8xtL4KZRjI
Swiatek picked up her first WTA 1000 title in Rome last year, where she demolished Karolina Pliskova 6-0, 6-0.
She lost her next two Masters 1000 events after that, bowing out to Jabeur in the Round of 32 at Cincinnati and Jelena Ostapenko in the Round of 16 at Indian Wells. She withdrew from the 2021 Canadian Open.
The Pole then took the first three WTA 1000 titles this year in Qatar, Indian Wells and Miami, before withdrawing from Madrid due to a shoulder injury. She continued her winning ways in Rome, where she successfully defended a title for the first time to clinch her fourth WTA 1000 crown of the season and fifth of her career.
#3 Iga Swiatek becomes ninth player to win consecutive titles at the Italian Open
9 - Iga #Swiatek is the ninth player to win consecutive titles in Rome after Chris Evert, Gabriela Sabatini, Conchita Martinez, Amelie Mauresmo, Jelena Jankovic, Maria Sharapova, Serena Williams and Elina Svitolina. Company.
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Swiatek found herself in new territory on Sunday. The World No. 1 was set to defend a title for the first time in Rome against Jabeur, who won their last two meetings last year. The Pole won their first encounter in Washington three years ago.
But Jabeur, who was on a 11-match winning streak of her own, just couldn't solve the Swiatek riddle, allowing the Pole to win her last eight finals and go back-to-back in the tournament.
The 20-year-old thus became the ninth player to win two straight titles at the Italian Open after Chris Evert, Gabriela Sabatini, Conchita Martinez, Amelie Mauresmo, Jelena Jankovic, Maria Sharapova, Serena Williams and Elina Svitolina.
#4 Iga Swiatek becomes third youngest player to win her second Rome title
3 - Iga #Swiatek is the third youngest player to win her second title in Rome, older only than Chris Evert and Gabriela Sabatini. Magnificent.
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Swiatek, at 20 years, 11 months and 15 days, became the third youngest player after 18-time Major champion Evert and former World No. 3 Sabatini to lift her second trophy at the Italian Open.
#5 Iga Swiatek drops 21 games in Rome, the fourth fewest en route to the crown
21 - Only 7 players have secured the title in Rome with fewest games dropped than Iga #Swiatek this season (21): Sabatini in 1991, Evert in 1975 (both 13), Serena Williams in 2013, Seles in 1990, Temesvari in 1983 (all 14), and Chris Evert in 1981 (19). Merciless.
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Swiatek, who served up her 13th bagel of the season in her quarter-final match against fellow teenage Major champion Bianca Andreescu, only surrendered 21 games on her way to successfully defending her throne in the Italian capital. She prevailed over Jabeur, 6-2, 6-2, in their final faceoff.
Other players to have dropped fewer games than the Pole in their journey to the crown in Rome are Evert and Sabatini (both dropped just 13 games in 1975 and 1991, respectively), Andrea Temesvari, Monica Seles and Serena Williams (each gave up 14 in 1983, 1990 and 2013, respectively) and Evert (19 in 1981).
@iga_swiatek DEFENDS her title in Rome and extends her win streak to 28!! 
mic drop 🫳🎤
🇵🇱 @iga_swiatek DEFENDS her title in Rome and extends her win streak to 28!! 🏆
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