World number one Iga Swiatek lined up tiramisu for the celebration party after sweeping past Ons Jabeur 6-2, 6-2 to retain her Italian Open crown on Sunday in Rome.
The 82-minute destruction of the ninth seed furnished the 20-year-old Pole with her fifth consecutive WTA crown and extended her unbeaten run to 28 matches.
"It wasn't easy for the whole week to play every day, but the crowd gave me so much energy that it was so nice to play here and be in Rome," Swiatek told the centre court at the Foro Italico.
"I am going to celebrate with a lot of tiramisu. No regrets!"
Having claimed the titles in Doha, Indian Wells and Miami, Swiatek has won every WTA 1000 tournament – considered just below the Grand Slam events in terms of prestige- that she has contested this season.
She also claimed the Stuttgart Open on clay to become only the fourth player since the turn of the century to win five or more consecutive tournaments.
She joins an illustrious list that includes Venus Williams in 2000, Justine Henin in 2007 and 2008 and Serena Williams in 2013.
Following her latest display, Swiatek underlined her credentials as hot favourite to add to her 2020 French Open success when the second Grand Slam tournament of the season begins on 22 May.
🏆 @iga_swiatek defends her title in Rome with a 28th win in a row dominating Ons Jabeur 6-2 6-2 in the final 👏 pic.twitter.com/SoNTm7f9ba
— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) May 15, 2022
Swiatek entered the final against Jabeur – winner of the Madrid Open last week and herself on an 11-match unbeaten streak – having lost their last two encounters at Wimbledon and Cincinnati last year.
But she took the 27-year-old Tunisian's opening service game on her way to a 3-0 lead.
And she wrapped up the opening set 6-2 after 38 minutes when a Jabeur backhand slumped into the net.
Jabeur had a chance to take Swiatek's serve at the start of the second set but she pulled a forehand down the line into the tramlines and Swiatek eventually held.
The error cost her dear as Swiatek, displaying tenacity and strength in defence and ruthlessness in attack, raced away with the next three games for a 4-0 lead.
However, with an imperious victory impending, she cracked when serving for a 5-0 advantage.
Jabeur broke and held her own serve to cut the deficit. She then had three consecutive break points to came back to 3-4
👏 let 👏 them 👏 hear 👏 it!@Ons_Jabeur | #IBI22 pic.twitter.com/EyltdVn7Yb
— wta (@WTA) May 15, 2022
But Swiatek fended all of them off and then a fourth to lead 5-2.
And she completed the triumph when Jabeur's cross court backhand slapped into the top of the net.
Swiatek sank to her knees as the crowd rose to acclaim the two-time champion.
After eclipsing Serena Williams' sequence of 27 consecutive wins, Swiatek boasts the longest winning streak on the WTA tour since Henin reached 32 in 2008.
