World No. 1 Iga Swiatek wins her third major title at the US Open, beating Naomi Osaka in a three sets-to-one, three sets-to-one final. Swiatek, who has spent years on tour looking for a breakthrough, is hoping to become only the second German woman to win three Grand Slam titles.
Swiatek, a former Wimbledon champion from Hamburg, had not expected to reach this position. She was leading Osaka after the first set but in the third she dropped the game with a forehand that was the shot of the tournament.
In the fourth set Osaka broke twice. The match was back and forth. Osaka finally took a 6-3 lead in the third set but Swiatek won a couple of points in the next game, giving Osaka a set point.
Iga Swiatek wins her third US Open title in three years with a six-hour rain delay.
Swiatek was clearly upset that Osaka could not defend her lead in the third set but she battled back to win the match. She now takes a place alongside Margaret Court as one of only two women to win the US Open championships twice.
An emotional Osaka won the final in front of her parents, sister and coach Nobuko Inui. She will play the winner of Simona Halep and Sabine Lisicki in the next round.
Swiatek said she was happy to finally get the win at the big stage and that she was “blessed”. She added that the title would not mean that she will now always be the top female player in the world but that it would also not mean “that she’s on top of tennis”.
Swiatek was speaking at about 11pm local time on Thursday, just hours after she won her third US Open title. Her parents were among those who gave birth to her when she was only 14.
A fan of Osaka, Iga said Osaka was the only player she wanted to play against more than the top
