Iga Swiatek sweeps Coco Gauff aside to claim French Open

World number one Iga Swiatek claimed her second French Open title, defeating the US’ Coco Gauff in just 68 minutes. The 6-1 6-3 win came swiftly and efficiently, and it meant that Swiatek equalled the longest unbeaten streak this century of 35 wins in a row and counting.

The Polish player entered the match the firm favourite, and demonstrated exactly why, sweeping aside her teenage opponent with relative ease to win her second Grand Slam title. Gauff, in her first Grand Slam final, got off to a nervy start, and simply proved no match for her more experienced rival.

Swiatek has won five tournaments in a row in 2022 – Doha, Indian Wells, Miami, Stuttgart and Rome – and her level only seemed to be increasing as she progressed through Roland Garros. She had the experience and the momentum coming into the final, and it showed.

Gauff produced a double fault for 0-30, and then a weak backhand and long forehead gave Swiatek the first game of the match. The US player took Swiatek to deuce in the next game, but an ace gave her opponent the win, and then her serve was broken again for a 3-0 lead. Gauff was cheered by the crowd when she got onto the scoreboard at 4-1, but she could do little in the face of her opponent – Swiatek overwhelmed her, and after another Gauff forehand went wide, the set was over in just 32 minutes.

The US player needed to get into the match, and she got the second set off to a strong start, holding for a 2-0 lead. But Swiatek started piling on the pressure, and swiftly won the next five games in a row to turn the set around. There were just too many errors in Gauff’s game in the face of her more experienced rival – she held for 5-3, but it was another long forehead that wrapped up the match and let Swiatek once again take hold of the trophy she first won in 2020.

Swiatek owes her number one position to Ashleigh Barty’s surprise retirement in March, but this tournament has demonstrated that she truly deserved the ranking

After her win, Swiatek said: “First I want to congratulate you [Gauff] because you are doing an amazing job.

“You are progressing all the time. You will find it and you will be there, I am pretty sure of that.

“I want to thank my team, you guys, I mean, oh my god, without you I wouldn’t be here, I’m sure of that. I’m glad every piece has come together and we can do this. We deserve to be here. Thanks for your full support all the time no matter what.

“Also to my dad, I wouldn’t be here without him, so I have to thank him for everything. Everyone who is in my box, thank you all.”

She also took advantage of the moment to speak about Ukraine – Swiatek has played the entire tournament with a ribbon in the Ukrainian colours pinned to her cap, and has vocally supported the nation.

She said: “I would like to say something on Ukraine. Stay strong, the war is still there. Since my first speech in Doha [in February] basically I was hoping when I am doing the next one the situation will be better. But I still have hopes and try to support so thank you guys.”

Gauff said: “I’d like to thank my team. I’m sorry I wasn’t able to get this one today. But thank you guys for always supporting me. Hopefully this is the first final of many.”

Swiatek owes her number one position to Ashleigh Barty’s surprise retirement in March, but this tournament has demonstrated that she truly deserved the ranking. She has been a force throughout the French Open and in women’s tennis is recent years – this may be her second Grand Slam victory, but it’s certainly unlikely to be her last.