Poland’s world number two Iga Świątek made a winning debut at the China Open in Beijing as she defeated Russia’s Liudmila Samsonova in straight sets in the final to lift the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) 1000 title.
The tournament was the biggest to have taken place in China since the WTA lifted a ban imposed after Peng Shuai disappeared from public view in November 2021 following her accusation of sexual assault against the country’s former vice premier Zhang Gaoli, leading to international condemnation.
Świątek swept aside Samsonova, the world number 22, playing under a neutral ban at the National Tennis Center because of her country’s invasion of Ukraine. 6-2, 6-2 to win a tour-leading fifth title of the season.
The victory meant that Swiatek became the first player since Serena Williams to win five or more titles in back-to-back seasons, with the American doing so in 2014 and 2015.
Beijing is Świątek’s 16th career title, having already won in 2023 at Roland Garros, Doha, Stuttgart and Warsaw.
The 22-year-old lost just one set in the tournament.
It is also Świątek’s sixth WTA 1000 title, making her the only player to win six or more WTA 1000 titles before the age of 23, eclipsing Caroline Wozniacki’s five.
Samsonova had booked a spot in her second WTA 1000 final of the season by defeating Kazakhstan’s world number five Elena Rybakina in the semi-finals having also beaten Jelena Ostapenko, Petra Kvitova, and Marta Kostyuk during the tournament.
Her run in Beijing will ensure a return to the top 20 when the new rankings are published tomorrow.
Świątek was full of confidence having beaten the US Open champion Coco Gauff 6-2, 6-3 in yesterday’s semi-final to end her American rival’s 16-match unbeaten streak.
That momentum helped Świątek to victory against an opponent who seemed to run out of steam after her exhausting run to the final.