NEW YORK — Iga Swiatek of Poland affirmed her ranking as the No. 1 women's tennis player in the world, fighting off a spirited late push from No. 5 Ons Jabeur of Tunisia to win her first US Open title and third Grand Slam singles championship with a 6-2, 7-6 (5) victory Saturday at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Swiatek, 21, was relentless on her returns in the early going, keeping everything in play and hitting the ball deep enough to limit Jabeur's chances to unleash her trademark creativity. Jabeur, the first African woman to reach the US Open final in the Open Era — which started in 1968 — was clearly frustrated by Swiatek's superb court coverage and ability to dictate the pace in the first set.
Throughout the tournament, Swiatek had said she was improving but hadn't hit her peak. She got there Saturday, breaking Jabeur's serve on her first and third chances in the opening set and again in the eighth game to wrap up the set in 30 minutes.
