Swiatek crushes Sabalenka to seize third Rome open crown
Iga Swiatek secured the Rome Open on Saturday by defeating Aryna Sabalenka 6-2, 6-3 in the final, marking her third title at the Foro Italico.
World number one Swiatek comfortably overcame second-ranked Sabalenka in this crucial event, the last major tournament before she defends her French Open title.
In front of a packed centre court, Swiatek clinched her 36th victory of the year, becoming the first woman since Serena Williams in 2013 to win both Madrid and Rome in the same season.
Swiatek is now the strong favorite to win her fourth title, and third consecutive, at Roland Garros, starting later this month. She defeated Belarusian Sabalenka as she did in the recent Madrid final.
The Polish star extended her winning record over Sabalenka to 8-3 with another commanding performance. Swiatek’s flawless tournament run saw her not drop a single set en route to the championship.
Saturday’s final was less dramatic than Madrid’s three-set battle. Sabalenka, a two-time Australian Open champion, struggled to challenge Swiatek’s dominance.
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Swiatek claimed the opening set in just 36 minutes with a clinical display of tennis. Sabalenka, who has expressed her desire to win in Rome, faced a tough opponent.
Entering Saturday’s final, Swiatek had won 97 percent of her matches after winning the first set since 2022. Sabalenka’s efforts were further hampered by missing seven break points over two games in the second set.
After breaking Sabalenka’s serve in game seven, Swiatek swiftly closed out the match and secured the championship title.
