Decoding the key stats of Iga Swiatek in 2022
21-year-old Polish international Iga Swiatek is having a dream run in 2022 and could add the French Open title in her illustrious cap when she faces Coco Gauff in the final on Saturday. Swiatek has been ruthless this season, having taken over Ashleigh Barty's vacated No. 1 spot in April. The youngster is on a dream run this year and we decode the stats.
Notable records for Swiatek
As per Opta, Swiatek became the first player to reach six-plus finals in the WTA Tour in the first six months of the year since Serena Williams did it in 2013 (seven). Notably, Swiatek has an 8-1 win-loss record in finals and has not lost a set in a championship match in more than three years. She is unbeaten in her last eight finals.
Why does this story matter?
Swiatek goes into Saturday's final as the favorite against teenager Gauff. This would give Swiatek a chance to lift her second French Open title, having won the edition in 2020. Earlier this year, she was ousted in the semi-finals of the Australian Open. Swiatek is also closing in on a unique record, besides hoping to win her sixth successive title this year.
Swiatek is in line to equal Venus Williams' record
Swiatek has won 34 straight matches, since her round of 16 loss at the Dubai Tennis Championships in February. By beating Daria Kasatkina 6-2, 6-1 in the semis here in Paris, Swiatek now has the joint-second longest streak of this century equaling Serena Williams (34) in 2013. She can now surpass Serena and equal Venus Williams' record of 35 straight wins set in 2000.
Swiatek has won five titles in 2022
Swiatek started her dominating run of form by winning the Qatar Open. She dropped just one set in the tournament. She claimed the Indian Wells title next, dropping three sets in total. The Miami Open and Stuttgart Open trophies followed suit as Swiatek dropped one set across both tournaments. Last month, she claimed the Italian Open title, defending the crown in style.
She has bossed the show so far at Roland Garros
Swiatek beat Lesia Tsurenko in the first round, winning 6-2, 6-0. She overcame Alison Riske 6-0, 6-2 next. In the third round, the 21-year-old star defeated Danka Kovinic 6-3, 7-5. She bounced back in style versus Qinwen Zheng 6-7, 6-0, 6-2. She beat Jessica Pegula in the quarters, winning 6-3, 6-2. In then semis, she downed Kasatkina in straight sets.
34 straight wins: Breaking down the match numbers
Swiatek won five matches in Qatar before winning six matches each in Indian Wells and Miami. She then won both her matches for Poland at the Billie Jean King Cup. She won four matches at Stuttgart Open, five in Rome, and now six in Paris.
11-1 win-loss record at Slams this year
Swiatek has a 20-2 win-loss record in Paris and has extended her win-loss tally at Slams (41-11). Her win-loss record at Slams in 2022 is 11-1 and her overall tally this season is 43-10. She has won 54 of her past 56 sets this season.
