French Open 2022: Iga Swiatek crowned champion

Bengaluru, June 4: Poland's Iga Swiatek lived up to her top billing, clinching the women's singles French Open 2022 crown with a facile 6-1, 6-3 win over USA's Coco Gauff in the final at the Roland Garros on Saturday (June 4).

The WTA world No.1 extended her winning streak to a record 35 matches, equalling the legendary Venus Williams' unbeaten run as the 21-year-old lifted her second title on the Parisian clay, following her breakthrough win in 2020.

Two years ago, Swiatek shocked the field by winning her first Roland Garros title as an unseeded teenager. This time, the Pole takes her second French Open title by winning a staggering 35th consecutive match, for the best winning streak this century.

For the records it was Swiatek's sixth successive title on the WTA Tour -- following Doha, Indian Wells, Miami, Stuttgart and Rome. She is also the first player to win six titles in a row since Justine Henin in 2007 and 2008 as the Polish ace continued her remarkable season.

World No.18 Gauff was playing her her first Grand Slam final of her fledgling career. The American had defeated Martina Trevisan of Italy 6-3, 6-1 in the semifinals, but Swiatek, who had just turned 21 on Tuesday (May 31), proved a tough to crack for her in the summit clash which lasted just 68 minutes.

The 18-year-old had become the youngest Grand Slam finalist since Maria Sharapova at Wimbledon 18 years ago.

For Swiatek, it has been a dream run since the start of the season. The only Polish player to win a major singles title has not lost since February, stringing together five tournaments in a row -- only Venus who won 35 consecutive matches in 2000, has a longer unbeaten stretch this century.

Swiatek had taken out No. 20 Daria Kasatkina of Russia 6-2, 6-1 in yet another lop-sided contest in the semifinals and continued form where she had left in the last-four encounter.

Swiatek's 16th consecutive win on clay is also the best run for a women's singles player since Serena Williams won 20 from Rome 2015 to French Open 2016.

The first player to reach six finals in the first six months of the year since Serena in 2013, Swiatek now won 42 of the 48 sets she has played at Roland Garros, starting from the 2019 edition.

In the process, Swiatek also became only the tenth woman to win multiple Roland Garros singles titles in the Open Era (since 1968). Having just turned 21, Swiatek is the fourth-youngest player to triumph more than once in Paris -- only Monica Seles, Steffi Graf, and Chris Evert were younger when they did so.

The rising star of women's tennis is also the youngest woman to win multiple majors since Sharapova won her second Grand Slam title aged 19 at the 2006 US Open.

The Polish star has stormed to the top of WTA rankings this season, moving up from world No.7 to the summit during her remarkable run and the latest victory in Paris for her second Grand Slam title of her career has only raised her profile further on the circuit. Kudos champion!