WTA Finals: Swiatek defeats Pegula in the final

Not a match, but an execution. The WTA Finals final in Cancun was a stunning display of power by Iga Swiatek, who won the Teachers’ Championship for the first time in her career and almost angrily reclaimed the world throne from Aryna Sabalenka, who had just destroyed a few hours earlier in the semi-finals. The final match, the final match on Mexican soil, which ended 6-1 and 6-0, lasted only 59 minutes, as the Pole scored 11 consecutive games against the helpless and weak Jessica Pegula, who also played a brilliant tournament. All in vain: Swiatek was simply unplayable, as she had done several times in 2022, the year in which she ascended to the world throne after Barty’s retirement, and during which she also achieved a sensational streak of 37 consecutive victories, one of the longest in WTA history. Professionals.

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And speaking of records, no WTA Finals has ended with such a clear result: two close precedents, the 1983 match between Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert and the 2003 match between Kim Clijsters and Amelie Mauresmo, both of which finished 6-2, 6- 0 in favor of the Czechoslovakian and Belgian respectively. But the final match in Cancun was reminiscent of the match between Steffi Graf and Natasha Zvereva at Roland Garros 1988, when the German defeated her then-Soviet (then Belarusian) opponent 6-0 and 6-0 in 32 minutes, inflicting defeat on her. The worst humiliation in history in the final act of a slam tournament. It is pointless to talk about the match: there was a kind of match until the first set ended 1-1, and then Swiatek changed her style and began to play her deadly tennis.

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Pegula first suffered this hurricane and then simply got lost, unable to confront the excessive power of the Pole at all: at a certain point in the second set, the American visually wanted to end this carnage as soon as possible, say goodbye to everyone and return to the locker rooms. Only applause for Swiatek, who struggled all year, with the burden of always having to constantly prove something and with the burden of having to repeat that exceptional 2022, which earned her two Grand Slam titles and the world throne. She lost the throne at the US Open to the expense of Sabalenka, who looked like she had to end the year as world No. 1, and who was instead overtaken by Eija in the most beautiful moment. The challenge for the top of the standings, for now, with the pole at 9295 and the Belarusian at 9050, ends here for the year, and will undoubtedly continue in 2024. Now head to the Billie Jean King Cup (Italy will be there too) and then everyone is on holiday. Upon their return, they all hope for better support from the WTA, which is in severe financial and organizational difficulties, as the finals have unfortunately shown the whole world.