“Who would have expected that?”
Iga Swiatek was not on many people’s radar to win Wimbledon – including her own.
Her two-year reign as world number one – ended by Aryna Sabalenka last year – was underpinned by dominance on the clay and consistency on the hard courts.
The 24-year-old became known as the ‘Queen of Clay’ after winning four French Open titles in five years, while she also won the US Open in 2022.
But she now leaves Wimbledon as the champion, thanks to an astonishing 6-0 6-0 victory in just 57 minutes over Amanda Anisimova in Saturday’s final.
Not only was this Swiatek’s first Wimbledon title, it was her first Tour-level title on grass, having previously won the girls’ competition at SW19.
So this triumph, one many thought she was not capable of on a surface not necessarily suited to her game, feels extra sweet.
“This one and the US Open for sure feel better because no-one expected that,” Swiatek said.
“It wasn’t a relief. It was more of just good tennis and working to make it happen without this baggage on your shoulders.
“It’s something that is just surreal. I feel like tennis keeps surprising me, and I keep surprising myself.”