Iga Swiatek holds off Ons Jabeur rally to win US Open women’s singles

Iga Swiatek and Ons Jabeur entered Arthur Ashe Stadium as the two best players in the world, the ones who have outperformed the rest of the field this year. Yet by the end of the match, the reality was much simpler. Jabeur gave all she could, she forced her way back into the match from the verge of a crushing defeat, but Swiatek remains the singular dominant force in the sport.

After navigating her various struggles through the summer and the tournament, the 21-year-old played with total freedom with the title on the line and then held off an incredible late surge from Jabeur, holding on to win the US Open for the first time in her career with a tense, quality, 6-2, 7-6 (5) win.

With her victory, Swiatek has become the first woman to win two grand slam titles in a year since Angelique Kerber in 2016, after winning the French Open earlier in the season. The Pole is now joint fourth among active players for total grand slams, with three in total. She has now earned 10,365 ranking points, a distinction only Serena Williams has achieved since 2013.

Since her 37-match, six-tournament winning streak came to an end at the hands of Alizé Cornet in the third round of Wimbledon, it has taken some effort for Swiatek to re‑establish her hold over the tour. She had arrived in New York with a 6-4 record over the summer. But when it mattered in New York, she was ready. Swiatek twice recovered from a set down and trailed 4-2 against Aryna Sabalenka in the deciding set of her semi-final.

As has always been the case with Swiatek in finals, she initially played with freedom despite the title being on the line. It was instantly clear this was a different level to anything she had produced earlier in the tournament.

She was sharp, prowling