By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Monday November 6, 2023
Iga Swiatek demolished the field at the WTA Finals, capping off her historical run with a dominant win over Jessica Pegula that puts her atop the WTA rankings again.
Photo Source: Getty
Iga Swiatek came. Iga Swiatek saw. Iga Swiatek demolished.
The 2023 WTA Finals in Cancun were the Pole’s personal proving ground and she finished off her season with a breathtaking 6-1, 6-0 victory over Jessica Pegula to claim her maiden title at the WTA’s season-ending championships and lock up the year-end No.1 ranking for a second consecutive season.
"We've had many ups and downs but this is for sure and up," Swiatek told her team after improving to 17-4 lifetime in finals. "We'll for sure have many more if we keep working like this."
It was a magnificent display from the 22-year-old, who dropped just 20 games en route to the title to set a new WTA Finals record, since the format switched to round robin play in 2003. Never before had a player ever won the title by dropping less than 30 games, let alone 20, and Monday’s thumping of Pegula, who also entered the finals with a perfect record through four matches, was a 59-minute clinic that featured power, precision and plenty of poise.
Swiatek rarely missed the mark as she committed just seven unforced errors and never faced a deficit on her serve until the final game of the match.
Swiatek ran through the final 11 games of the contest unscathed, and converted five of seven break points as she won 22 of 34 return points against the American.
After taking out top-seeded Aryna Sabalenka 6-3, 6-2 in the semifinals on Sunday, Swiatek needed to defeat Pegula to return to the No.1 ranking for the first time since the US Open.
She left no doubt, completing her victory in 59 minutes, and will begin her 76th week atop the WTA’s rankings on Monday. Swiatek will become the sixth youngest player to ever achieve back-to-back year-end No.1 rankings, as she finishes the season with 68 wins and 11 losses while winning six titles.
Pegula drops to 59-18 on the season. She claimed two titles and became the first player to face the tour’s No.1, No.2, No.3 and No.4-ranked players at the same event since the tour started its rankings in 1975.