by Iga Swiadek admitted that she felt some empathy for the opponent Amanda Anisimova after refusing the tearful American a single game in the Wimbledon final.
For the first time in more than 100 years, the women’s final was won 6-0 by a 6-0 goal line, with Swiatek needed less than an hour to secure her Maiden Wimbledon title.
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It was a nightmare scenario for the 23-year-old American Anisimova who played in her first Slam final.
“In the beginning I saw that it was tense,” said the pole. “I wanted to concentrate on myself and not let myself get in my head because it can be distracted. You can take things for granted.
“I can only imagine what she felt. If you play a Grand Slam final, it is a lot of pressure and she has to feel a bit tired after the semi-finals. It’s not easy and I was a bit worried, but I wanted this victory so bad that I just did my job.
“Do you really want to win Wimbledon? If you do that, you won’t give a point for free.”
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After Swiatek had landed one last backhand directly into the line, he fell to the square and then climbed to the stands to celebrate with her followers, including the Friends Star Courteney Cox.
Courteney Cox celebrates with IGA Swiatek (Andrew Matthews/Pa)
The couple met for the first time last year at a sponsor event in Paris and stayed in touch.
“You know that I love friends,” said Swiatek. “She loves tennis, she always posts it and she plays pretty well, so it was kind of funny. I didn’t know that she would come here. We are in contact, but I’m glad that she didn’t write me an SMS because I know that someone will be observed that I am being stressed.”
Swiadek brought her record of Grand Slam titles to six, but that’s still one behind her coach Belgian Wim Fissette, who has now won large trophies with four different players.
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Previously, he trained Angelique Kerber at the Wimbledon Crown, while he also won US Open and Australian Open title with Kim Clijsters and Naomi Osaka.
When asked whether he could have expected the goal line, Fissette said: “Of course not. You never did it. But I knew Iga played well. I wasn’t there when she played her first five Grand Slam final, but she won her all, so it also means a lot.”
The couple, which was associated in a difficult moment at the end of last season, when Swiatek had just separated from former coach Tomasz Wiktorowski and fought privately against an anti-doping case, for which she finally served a one-month suspension.
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There were questions if it was the right fit. Swiatek was unable to win a title in the first six months of the year and to fight with pressure and expectation on their preferred tone.
These doubts seem to have been fixed in the past, and Fissette has contributed to convincing Swiatek that she could thrive on grass.
“When I started, she said:” Wim, faster surfaces are difficult for me, “he said.
“I had the feeling that this could work. In the past 10 years they only look at the champions. It is not always the big servers and the Super Big Ground Stroke player.
“Also good makers, clever players who won. So if Simona Halep can win, or (Marketa) vonDrousova can win, why not IGA?”
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Fissette’s key change was a foot work adjustment that the 24-year-old dealt with better with faster balls in the forehand.
Iga Swiatek with the Venus Rosewater court in the Royal Box (Jordan Petttitt/Pa)
“Let’s say it was a fight to get that,” he said with a smile. “When we started the Clay Court season, IGA had so much success at the tone that it was difficult to find the moment or not to say:” We will do things a little differently “.
“There was an opening in the grass because she was never successful. So I came with some ideas. It was not easy to convince her.
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Swiadek will return to the top three in the world on Monday, behind Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff, whereby the story of their season has now freaked out on the head.
“Semi Final 6-2 6-0 and the last 6: 0, 6: 0, it’s just incredible,” added Fissette. “It is a nice story when you have to fight in Madrid and Rome. We still call it a successful Paris to go to Semis. That was the comeback and then at the grass and win of our first trophy together.”
