A self-confessed introvert, Iga Swiatek is no more given to extravagant displays of emotion than her coach, Tomasz Wiktorowski, whose stoic demeanour perfectly complements her reserved nature.
So when a chest-beating, arm-waving Swiatek capered joyfully across Cancún’s Estadio Paradisus, her elation mirrored in the stands by the bearlike Wiktorowski, who brandished a tightly-clenched fist as he rose to his feet, teeth bared, the magnitude of Swiatek’s bold and brilliant victory over Aryna Sabalenka at the WTA Finals was lost on no one.
On a night when the ghastly weather conditions finally subsided, affording the best two players in the world free rein to showcase their talents, Swiatek produced a season-defining performance just when the need was greatest. With a 6-3, 6-2 win over the Belarusian, Swiatek not only moved into the final of the season-ending showpiece for the first time, but also struck a telling blow in her tussle with Sabalenka for the year-end No 1 ranking.
Victory for Swiatek in Monday’s final against Jessica Pegula would see the 22-year-old reclaim top spot, just 56 days after Sabalenka ascended to the crown, ending the Pole’s 75-week reign at No 1. While Swiatek has won five of her eight meetings with Pegula, she has fallen to the American twice this season, at January’s United Cup and again three months ago in Montreal. Neither woman has dropped a set in Cancún, and Swiatek is taking nothing for granted as she attempts to end the season on the top of the pile for a second successive year.
“I feel like it’s still a long way, because [Monday]’s match should be the toughest one,” said Swiatek, who has dropped just 19 games en route to the final, matching the tournament record set by Justine Henin in 2007.
“It’s not going to be easy against Jessie, she really showed she can play in any conditions, so it’s still a long way.
“For now I’m just really focused on continuing what I have been doing for the past days. I managed to do that tonight, even though this match was with a lot of hype, so I’m pretty sure tomorrow’s going to be similar for me in terms of my mentality.”
The sense of expectation surrounding Swiatek’s showdown with Sabalenka was further magnified when heavy rain forced a suspension of play after just three games on Saturday. Even in the wet conditions, those initial exchanges offered a tantalising glimpse of the drama to come, Sabalenka fashioning an early break point only to clobber a return long. In a match of fine margins, it felt like a costly error even at that stage. Play was stopped with Swiatek leading 2-1 and Sabalenka precariously poised at 30-30 on serve.
Given the score, a fast start promised to be crucial for both women on the resumption, and it was the Pole who got it. A Sabalenka miss brought up a break point that Swiatek converted beautifully with a nailed backhand pass, and although the Belarusian carved out an opportunity to level in the next game, she squandered the chance with a netted forehand.
Helped along by the stadium DJ, who inadvertently interrupted proceedings, Swiatek went on to consolidate her advantage. Marija Cicak, the formidable Croatian chair umpire, directed a withering look up towards the soundsmith after Maniac, Michael Sembello’s Flashdance hit, twice blared out over the sound system. The delay forced Cicak to give Swiatek another crack at a first serve on game point, and the Pole gleefully sent down an unreturnable delivery. Sabalenka could only shake her head in dismay.
“Starting the match at 30-30 on my serve, that’s not easy,” said Sabalenka, whose contempt for the temporary playing surface has been a recurrent motif in Cancún. “She had her opportunity and she used it. After those two points, she just started putting so much pressure on me and I was just trying to come back.
“It’s tough, sometimes you feel on this court it’s a lottery. One wrong bounce on an important point and you’re done. That’s why I give really huge credit to Iga, because she really adjusted really well. She was definitely better than me.”
That much was undeniable. Swiatek’s intensity, both physical and mental, was off the charts. Her scampering footwork enabled her to absorb Sabalenka’s pace and redirect the ball seemingly at will, while the quality of her shot-making placed intolerable pressure on the top seed. As she ran the Belarusian from side to side, keeping Sabalenka off balance so that she never had a stable platform from which to bring her heavy artillery to bear, Swiatek’s focus was unrelenting. She berated herself furiously for even the most minor of lapses, and finished the match with just nine unforced errors to Sabalenka’s 18.
No less decisive was Swiatek’s willingness to step inside the baseline and take on her returns, an approach that limited Sabalenka to just 25% of her second serve points.
“I’m really proud of myself, because it wasn’t easy mentally or physically,” said Swiatek. “Playing against Aryna is always tough, so I’m happy that I was really focused and I didn’t have any point during the match where I [was] making mistakes.
“I didn’t give any points for free, so I’m just happy that I was really solid and focused on myself. I really showed my game.”