Iga Swiatek has become the first player since former world number one Serena Williams to win five or more WTA titles in consecutive seasons.
The 2023 China Open concluded on Sunday, October 8, with second seed Iga Swiatek winning the WTA 1000 event.
In the final in Beijing, the Pole defeated world number 22 Lyudmila Samsonova in straight sets 6-2, 6-2. In her bid for the title, Swiatek defeated Sara Sorribes Tomo, Varvara Gracheva, Magda Linette, Caroline Garcia and the reigning U.S. Open champion Coco Gough.
After winning her fifth title of the season in Beijing, Iga Swiatek became the first player since Serena Williams in 2015 and 2016 to win five or more WTA titles in consecutive seasons.
The 22-year-old has won 16 WTA titles over the past two seasons, including the 2022 U.S. Open and two French Open titles in 2022 and 2023.
Former world No. 1 Serena Williams is arguably one of the greatest athletes in tennis, winning 23 Grand Slam titles during her career. In 2003 and 2015, Williams achieved the unique feat of winning all four Grand Slam singles titles simultaneously, an achievement known as the “Serena Slam.”
“I’ll probably think about statistics at the end of the season” – Iga Swiatek
World No. 2 Iga Swiatek lost her top spot to Aryna Sabalenka all season long. After a shock quarter-final exit at the 2023 Japan Open, Swiatek won the title in Beijing to set the stage for a bid for the top spot in the WTA rankings.
During a press conference at the 2023 China Open, the 22-year-old reacted to a statistic that showed Swiatek as the player with the most wins this season. While she’s pleased with her consistency, the Pole said she won’t be focusing on that until the season is over.
“I don’t know. It doesn’t happen very often and I’m happy to be that consistent player. I’ve played a lot of games in two seasons and they’re not easy seasons. I feel like I’m going to go in the right direction and all that Winning means I’m one of the best players in the world,” Swiatek said.
It’s such a great feeling, it’s great that all the work is paying off and you feel even more satisfied. But I’ll probably think about the statistics at the end of the season,” she added.