How Did Iga Swiatek Achieve Victory in Seoul?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Iga Swiatek showcases resilience in her comeback victory.
- Swiatek's win marks her 25th career title.
- Record of 25-5 in WTA finals highlights her success.
- Katerina Siniakova returns to No. 1 in doubles.
- Barbora Krejcikova achieves her 20th doubles title.
Seoul, Sep 21 (NationPress) In a thrilling finale at the Korea Open, top-seeded Iga Swiatek from Poland faced a challenging match against second seed Ekaterina Alexandrova, ultimately triumphing with a score of 1-6, 7-6 (3), 7-5 in a grueling contest that lasted 2 hours and 41 minutes. This victory not only secured her 25th career title on the WTA Tour but also marked her third title of the current season. Swiatek now holds an impressive 25-5 record in WTA finals.
During the trophy presentation, Swiatek expressed her admiration for Alexandrova, stating, “First of all, I want to congratulate Ekaterina for an amazing week and an amazing final. Honestly, I don’t know how I won it because you were playing great, and I just tried to stay alive. Hopefully we’re going to play more finals because it’s always tough against you, but it’s also entertaining.”
Swiatek's resilience proved crucial in this match characterized by narrow margins, particularly after the lopsided first set. The underdog Alexandrova dominated the opening set, taking just 30 minutes to break Swiatek in the first game and maintain her lead.
However, the 24-year-old Swiatek turned the tide at the start of the second set, breaking Alexandrova right away. The match then saw momentum swing back and forth, culminating in a tiebreak where Swiatek finally asserted control, leading 3-0 and ultimately winning 7-3.
In the deciding set, Swiatek initially faltered, giving Alexandrova a break due to three double faults. Yet, she fought back to level the score at 3-all and then took the lead for the second time in the match.
As the match progressed, Swiatek maintained scoreboard pressure and, on her second match point, delivered a powerful cross-court forehand winner to secure the comeback victory.
Additionally, Katerina Siniakova and Barbora Krejcikova teamed up to achieve a significant milestone, with Siniakova reclaiming the WTA doubles No. 1 ranking after 161 weeks at the top, just two weeks shy of Cara Black's all-time record. This win marks Siniakova's 31st career WTA doubles title and her third of the season, following victories at the Australian Open and WTA 1000 event in Dubai.
For Krejcikova, this title represents her 20th career WTA doubles title and her first of the 2025 season, having last won in Prague in 2024 alongside Siniakova.