Watch: Iga Swiatek in tears after securing first WTA 1000 title of the season at China Open 2023
Former World No. 1 Iga Swiatek has never shied away from expressing her emotions during her matches and it was evident again when she was in tears after winning the 2023 China Open title.
Swiatek arrived in Beijing after a disappointing quarterfinal loss at the Japan Open. She started her campaign in the WTA 1000 tournament on a strong note, defeating Sara Sorribes Tormo, Varvara Gracheva, Magda Linette, Caroline Garcia and reigning US Open champion Coco Gauff to reach the finals.
In the title match, the Pole then faced off against Liudmila Samsonovoa who had previously defeated former Wimbledon Champion Elena Rybakina in the semifinals.
Both players gave it their all, but Swiatek eventually emerged victorious with a 6-2, 6-2 straight sets win against the Russian to claim her first WTA 1000 title of the season.
Aside from Iga Swiatek's fighting spirit and never-say-die attitude, what got everyone's attention was when she burst into tears shortly after Samsonovoa hit the ball into the net to decide the match's outcome. However, the four-time Grand Slam champion quickly regained her composure before the trophy presentation.
Watch the video here:
Iga Swiatek thanks her fans in China for their unwavering support
Iga Swiatek expressed her heartfelt gratitude to her fans in China for their incredible support and love during her first Asian swing. She added that it would be a "pleasure" to come back to the country in future.
"Thank you also to the fans. I really had an amazing time here. You are really supportive you know, that's my first Asian swing so the love that I got, and you know the support, I am really grateful for it. It's always gonna be a pleasure to come back here. So, thank you so much," Swiatek said during her victory speech.
This title win made Swiatek the first player since Serena Williams to clinch five or more titles in consecutive seasons, with the 23-time Grand Slam champion accomplishing this feat in 2014 and 2015.
This also marked the World No. 2's 16th career title. She has won four more titles this season apart from this at the French Open, Qatar Open, Stuttgart Open and the Poland Open in Warsaw, her hometown.
Iga Swiatek's win was also significant in closing the gap between her and World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in terms of ranking points.
The 22-year-old trailed Sabalenka by 1,305 points in the WTA Finals leaderboard race at the start of the tournament. However, after her exploits on Sunday (October 8), she cut her Belarusian rival's lead to 630 points.