Iga Swiatek Dominates Aryna Sabalenka to Win Italian Open

Iga Swiatek (22) defeated Aryna Sabalenka (26) with a commanding 6-2, 6-3 victory to claim her third Italian Open title on Saturday. This win continues her dominance over Sabalenka, following her triumph at the Madrid Open earlier this month, solidifying her position as the world number one.

This title marks the 21st of Swiatek’s career, serving as a strong statement to her competitors ahead of this month’s French Open, where she has already won three times.

“After Madrid, I knew it would not be easy. It can always go both ways,” Swiatek said. “Thank you (Sabalenka) for sharing the court with me and pushing me to be better.”

In the first set, Swiatek broke Sabalenka twice as the Belarusian struggled with 12 unforced errors. Sabalenka attempted a comeback in the second set, reaching five break points to try and lead 2-0, but Swiatek held her serve.

Sabalenka couldn’t capitalize on her break points, while Swiatek maintained her composure, saving two more break points on her next serve. The set reached 3-3 before Swiatek broke Sabalenka’s serve in consecutive games, securing her path to victory.

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“I love this tournament… I’ll come back stronger next year and hopefully win the trophy,” Sabalenka said, congratulating Swiatek. “I hope we make it to the final at Roland Garros and I will get you there.”

Swiatek responded, “We will see about the Roland Garros final.”

The French Open starts on May 26th.