Iga Swiatek’s fine form continued on Monday evening, as she defeated Jasmine Paolini to lift the Cincinnati Open title.
Swiatek, who has now lost just one of her last 16 matches dating back to Wimbledon, is in scintillating form heading into the US Open.
The Polish star was made to work for her victory, fighting back from 0-3 down in the first set to eventually defeat Paolini 7-5 6-4.
When considering her recent form, Swiatek is the clear favourite to win a second US Open Ladies Singles title, even ahead of defending champion and world number one Aryna Sabalenka.
By defeating Paolini, Swiatek catapulted herself into rarefied air, moving ahead of some of the all-time greats.
Photo by Robert Prange/Getty ImagesIga Swiatek holds the best win rate of any player against WTA top 10 opponents in WTA-level finals since 1990
Swiatek’s victory on Monday evening was not only a moment for the present, but for the past also.
The 24-year-old, who rivalled Maria Sharapova and Martina Hingis with victory in the semi-final, continues to break tennis records left, right and centre; doing so again with victory over Paolini.
As per OptaAce, since the tier format’s introduction in 1990, Iga Swiatek holds the best win rate of any player against WTA top 10 opponents in WTA-level finals across a minimum of five finals, and excluding team events.
Swiatek has a record of 15 wins and two losses when playing against a top 10 opponent in a WTA Tour final: a win percentage of 88.2 per cent.
Swiatek will now turn her attention to the revamped US Open Mixed Doubles event, where she is competing alongside Casper Ruud. The pair have won their first two rounds to reach the semi-final stage.
The Polish player has engineered a quick turnaround after competing in Cincinnati, as the US Open Mixed Doubles tournament in New York began less than 24 hours after the Cincinnati Open Ladies Singles final.
Iga Swiatek overtakes Coco Gauff
Swiatek’s victory over Jasmine Paolini has had a significant effect on the rankings and seedings for the US Open.
The Pole has now overtaken Coco Gauff in the WTA rankings, climbing into the number two spot.
Photo by Fred Lee/Getty Images
Consequently, Swiatek has been confirmed as the second seed for the US Open Ladies Singles competition.
Therefore, Swiatek will face lower seeds than Gauff throughout the competition. The pair are also expected to face each other in the semi-finals, as the US Open format is structured to create the possibility of the second and third seeds playing each other at that stage.