FRENCH OPEN 2020 CHAMPION- IGA SWIATEK: DEFYING ODDS , SHATTERING RECORDS!
My goodness , what an end to the tennis slam season it has been! A very high percentage of us , including me , went into Roland Garros 2020 with a simple prediction - “Another title for Rafa!” Moving our attention to the women’s side , there were the same old couple of household names that stood out as favorites to take home the Coupe Suzanne Lenglen trophy - Serena Williams , Simona Halep , Garbine Muguruza , Sofia Kenin , and so on. But as the tournament progressed , we were witnesses to another chapter in the legendary history of the ‘God of clay’ and the first chapter of a legend in the making! Rafael Nadal and Iga Swiatek dominated their respective fields and reigned supreme , neither of them dropping a single set in the 124th edition of the premier clay court event.
Poland’s nineteen-year-old Swiatek , who came into the event ranked 54 , ran riot in each of her matches , winning the title without dropping more than five games in any of her rounds. Iga defeated 2019 runner-up Marketa Vondrousova in the First round but truly made her mark and raised all eyebrows in the Fourth round , as she humbled former Roland Garros champion and first seed Simona Halep 6–1 6–2. The Polish teenager has a strong style of play , with a great first serve and brilliant court coverage. She likes to use every corner of the court and can hit through the line fearlessly. Idolizing the great Rafael Nadal himself , Swiatek has similar qualities with her agility and gruesome top spin , mixed with the deceptive drop shot. Swiatek prepared for her highly anticipated title clash not by practicing and resting , but by contesting a doubles semi-final the day before. Walking out onto Court Philippe Chatrier in the final against a more experienced competitor in the form of feisty American Sofia Kenin , it could’ve easily been a case of nerves taking over on the big stage for the youngster. But she overcame all the odds and was confident right from the moment she entered the arena. It seemed as if all the clouds had descended over her and her only - there was no stopping her! She bludgeoned her way to a 6–4 6–1 win , making her the youngest Roland Garros women’s champion in almost thirty years and also Poland’s first ever Grand Slam champion!
What really impressed me about Iga Swiatek was the sheer fearlessness on such a humongous stage , at merely the age of nineteen. She was confident , determined and never seemed to be overwhelmed by the bigger stars across the net. In no way was she an outside favorite to even reach the last eight , let alone go all the way. It was truly inspiring to see a next generation player take over in such a dominant manner - a real wake-up call for the youth worldwide that it is never too soon to dream big and achieve bigger. Draw out the desire from within and the motivation from others , just like Swiatek drew hers from 20-time Grand Slam champion Nadal. It doesn’t matter who you are or where you are from - just be happy , work hard and keep pushing forward. As for the champion Swiatek , she has proven that she is here to stay and can be the next trailblazer in the tennis world , continuing to inspire millions globally! ‘Gratulacje Iga!’
