Iga Swiatek Serves Warning To Rivals By Crushing Madison Keys At Wta Finals

The 2nd version of nan WTA Finals successful Saudi Arabia began pinch nan acquainted show of Iga Swiatek brutally laying discarded different of nan champion players successful nan world. The six-time expansive slam champion demolished Madison Keys 6-1, 6-2 successful their first lucifer of nan group stage.

Swiatek had been struggling successful caller tournaments, fatigue seemingly mounting successful astatine nan extremity of a draining 10-month season. However, nan Pole had 3 weeks to regroup aft her 6-1, 6-2 nonaccomplishment to Jasmine Paolini successful nan quarter-finals of nan Wuhan Open. She looked caller and locked successful from nan beginning, affirming her position arsenic 1 of nan favourites alongside Aryna Sabalenka, nan world No 1, by serving highly good and putting Keys nether relentless unit disconnected some wings pinch her weight of changeable and defence while offering fewer mistakes.

This one-sided result, however, besides said overmuch astir Keys’ deficiency of mentation for a tourney composed of nan 8 champion successful nan world, pinch nary opportunity to easiness into nan early rounds and gradually regain rhythm, arsenic is nan lawsuit successful astir regular knockout tournaments.

Keys’ play had started pinch an unthinkable triumph complete Swiatek successful nan semi-finals of nan Australian Open, wherever she saved a lucifer constituent en-route to her long-awaited maiden expansive slam title. The American struggled to find her champion shape aft that and past suffered a wrist wounded that has forced her disconnected nan circuit since losing successful nan opening information of nan US Open.

The 30-year-old could not person asked for a tougher force connected her return. Constantly forced into difficult positions connected nan tribunal pinch nary clip connected nan ball, Keys sprayed errors freely arsenic she tried to wrestle power of nan points. Despite her tremendous serve, she held twice. Keys ended nan lucifer pinch 8 winners compared pinch 38 unforced errors.

Madison Keys was playing her first lucifer since losing successful nan first information of nan US Open. Photograph: Stéphanie Lecocq/Reuters

This staging marks nan 2nd twelvemonth of nan Women’s Tennis Association’s three-year woody successful Saudi Arabia and Swiatek should consciousness comforted by nan deficiency of play surrounding her this time. Her only WTA Finals title tally came successful Cancún 2 years ago, a tourney held during hurricane play successful dire upwind conditions and astatine a clip erstwhile nan arena moved betwixt countries each year.

Last year, Swiatek mislaid successful nan group shape weeks aft being informed she had tested affirmative for nan banned constituent trimetazidine. She was cleared of immoderate deliberate wrongdoing, aft proving that her melatonin medicine had been contaminated.

Now she has nan use of simply focusing connected her tennis. While nan WTA has tried to divert attraction to its hopes of helping to spotlight women’s issues successful Saudi Arabia, arsenic is nan lawsuit pinch each sporting events held there, nan financial incentives are nan astir pressing logic for its presence. Swiatek and her rivals will beryllium handsomely rewarded for their efforts.

An undefeated champion would depart pinch $5.235m (£3.98m), nan highest prize money purse successful nan history of women’s athletics and 2nd only to nan $6m offered to Jannik Sinner past period arsenic nan victor of nan Six Kings Slam accumulation event.

Having earned $42,945,490 astatine conscionable 24, Swiatek precocious leapfrogged Venus Williams arsenic nan second-highest prize money earner successful women’s tennis, wherever she trails only Serena Williams. On nan grounds of this performance, nan figures successful her slope relationship will only proceed to rise.