
6-0 6-0! Swiatek's historic blitz to win Wimbledon
In blazing sunshine on the Centre Court, Polish great Swiatek made a nonsense of all her previous struggles on grass-courts as she swept to a majestic victory for a sixth grand slam triumph on Saturday in less than an hour.
The 'double-bagel' triumph, which lasted just 57 minutes, had never happened in a Wimbledon final in the Open era.
The last time it occurred at SW19 was 114 years ago in 1911, when Dorothea Lambert Chambers beat Dora Boothby in an all-British final, while the only modern day equivalent was the 1988 French Open final when Steffi Graf routed Natasha Zvereva.
It ensured that at 24, Swiatek becomes the youngest woman since Serena Williams to win majors on all three surfaces after her four French Open titles on clay and her 2022 US Open win.
And it prompted her to have a post-title swipe at her critics who've tried to unpick why she hadn't won a title for over a year.
"For sure, the past months, how the media sometimes describe me - and I've got to say, unfortunately, Polish media - how they treated me and my team, it wasn't really pleasant," said Swiatek, who had served a one-month doping ban at the end of last season after taking contaminated medication.
"I hope they will just leave me alone and let me do my job because obviously you can see that we know what we are doing, and I have the best people around me.
"I have already proved a lot. I know people want more and more - but it's my own process and my own life and my own career."
Presented with the Venus Rosewater Dish by Kate, the Princess of Wales, Swiatek had delivered a right royal performance, exhibiting machine-like quality with her groundstrokes as Anisimova, the American 13th seed, never recovered from getting broken to 15 in the opening service game.
"I think everyone's in a state of shock at what's happened," said three-time Wimbledon champ John McEnroe, echoing everyone's feelings from the commentary box. "Swiatek played someone who absolutely froze. And it was so hard to watch."
Inevitably, the tears came for Animisova, whose comeback had been one of the stories of the championship, with the former teenage prodigy having stepped away from tennis for eight months in 2023 to prioritise her mental health.
Much was expected after the way she'd beaten world No.1 Aryna Sabalenka in the semis, but she was the first to admit her failings after coughing up 28 mistakes in just a dozen games.
"I was a bit frozen there, with my nerves. Maybe the last two weeks I got a bit tired or something," said the 23-year-old, who skipped practice on Friday because of fatigue and felt pain in her right shoulder while warming up before the match.
"I ran out of gas today and I wish I could have put on a better performance for you," she told the crowd after paying a tearful tribute to her mum.
Nothing, though, could be taken away from Swiatek. She's the eighth consecutive first-time Wimbledon champion, but her's is a name that truly belongs in the event's hall of fame after she'd never previously got beyond the quarter-finals.
The first Polish winner at Wimbledon in 148 years had spent 125 weeks as the world No.1 between 2022 and 2024 but had slumped to a No.8 seeding after her win famine. Now she's back where she belongs.
Iga Swiatek has cemented her place as an all-time great of women's tennis with her unprecedented, merciless 6-0 6-0 destruction of Amanda Anisimova in a brutal Wimbledon Centre Court final wipe-out.
In blazing sunshine on the Centre Court, Polish great Swiatek made a nonsense of all her previous struggles on grass-courts as she swept to a majestic victory for a sixth grand slam triumph on Saturday in less than an hour.
The 'double-bagel' triumph, which lasted just 57 minutes, had never happened in a Wimbledon final in the Open era.
The last time it occurred at SW19 was 114 years ago in 1911, when Dorothea Lambert Chambers beat Dora Boothby in an all-British final, while the only modern day equivalent was the 1988 French Open final when Steffi Graf routed Natasha Zvereva.
It ensured that at 24, Swiatek becomes the youngest woman since Serena Williams to win majors on all three surfaces after her four French Open titles on clay and her 2022 US Open win.
And it prompted her to have a post-title swipe at her critics who've tried to unpick why she hadn't won a title for over a year.
"For sure, the past months, how the media sometimes describe me - and I've got to say, unfortunately, Polish media - how they treated me and my team, it wasn't really pleasant," said Swiatek, who had served a one-month doping ban at the end of last season after taking contaminated medication.
"I hope they will just leave me alone and let me do my job because obviously you can see that we know what we are doing, and I have the best people around me.
"I have already proved a lot. I know people want more and more - but it's my own process and my own life and my own career."
Presented with the Venus Rosewater Dish by Kate, the Princess of Wales, Swiatek had delivered a right royal performance, exhibiting machine-like quality with her groundstrokes as Anisimova, the American 13th seed, never recovered from getting broken to 15 in the opening service game.
"I think everyone's in a state of shock at what's happened," said three-time Wimbledon champ John McEnroe, echoing everyone's feelings from the commentary box. "Swiatek played someone who absolutely froze. And it was so hard to watch."
Inevitably, the tears came for Animisova, whose comeback had been one of the stories of the championship, with the former teenage prodigy having stepped away from tennis for eight months in 2023 to prioritise her mental health.
Much was expected after the way she'd beaten world No.1 Aryna Sabalenka in the semis, but she was the first to admit her failings after coughing up 28 mistakes in just a dozen games.
"I was a bit frozen there, with my nerves. Maybe the last two weeks I got a bit tired or something," said the 23-year-old, who skipped practice on Friday because of fatigue and felt pain in her right shoulder while warming up before the match.
"I ran out of gas today and I wish I could have put on a better performance for you," she told the crowd after paying a tearful tribute to her mum.
Nothing, though, could be taken away from Swiatek. She's the eighth consecutive first-time Wimbledon champion, but her's is a name that truly belongs in the event's hall of fame after she'd never previously got beyond the quarter-finals.
The first Polish winner at Wimbledon in 148 years had spent 125 weeks as the world No.1 between 2022 and 2024 but had slumped to a No.8 seeding after her win famine. Now she's back where she belongs.
Iga Swiatek has cemented her place as an all-time great of women's tennis with her unprecedented, merciless 6-0 6-0 destruction of Amanda Anisimova in a brutal Wimbledon Centre Court final wipe-out.
In blazing sunshine on the Centre Court, Polish great Swiatek made a nonsense of all her previous struggles on grass-courts as she swept to a majestic victory for a sixth grand slam triumph on Saturday in less than an hour.
The 'double-bagel' triumph, which lasted just 57 minutes, had never happened in a Wimbledon final in the Open era.
The last time it occurred at SW19 was 114 years ago in 1911, when Dorothea Lambert Chambers beat Dora Boothby in an all-British final, while the only modern day equivalent was the 1988 French Open final when Steffi Graf routed Natasha Zvereva.
It ensured that at 24, Swiatek becomes the youngest woman since Serena Williams to win majors on all three surfaces after her four French Open titles on clay and her 2022 US Open win.
And it prompted her to have a post-title swipe at her critics who've tried to unpick why she hadn't won a title for over a year.
"For sure, the past months, how the media sometimes describe me - and I've got to say, unfortunately, Polish media - how they treated me and my team, it wasn't really pleasant," said Swiatek, who had served a one-month doping ban at the end of last season after taking contaminated medication.
"I hope they will just leave me alone and let me do my job because obviously you can see that we know what we are doing, and I have the best people around me.
"I have already proved a lot. I know people want more and more - but it's my own process and my own life and my own career."
Presented with the Venus Rosewater Dish by Kate, the Princess of Wales, Swiatek had delivered a right royal performance, exhibiting machine-like quality with her groundstrokes as Anisimova, the American 13th seed, never recovered from getting broken to 15 in the opening service game.
"I think everyone's in a state of shock at what's happened," said three-time Wimbledon champ John McEnroe, echoing everyone's feelings from the commentary box. "Swiatek played someone who absolutely froze. And it was so hard to watch."
Inevitably, the tears came for Animisova, whose comeback had been one of the stories of the championship, with the former teenage prodigy having stepped away from tennis for eight months in 2023 to prioritise her mental health.
Much was expected after the way she'd beaten world No.1 Aryna Sabalenka in the semis, but she was the first to admit her failings after coughing up 28 mistakes in just a dozen games.
"I was a bit frozen there, with my nerves. Maybe the last two weeks I got a bit tired or something," said the 23-year-old, who skipped practice on Friday because of fatigue and felt pain in her right shoulder while warming up before the match.
"I ran out of gas today and I wish I could have put on a better performance for you," she told the crowd after paying a tearful tribute to her mum.
Nothing, though, could be taken away from Swiatek. She's the eighth consecutive first-time Wimbledon champion, but her's is a name that truly belongs in the event's hall of fame after she'd never previously got beyond the quarter-finals.
The first Polish winner at Wimbledon in 148 years had spent 125 weeks as the world No.1 between 2022 and 2024 but had slumped to a No.8 seeding after her win famine. Now she's back where she belongs.
Iga Swiatek has cemented her place as an all-time great of women's tennis with her unprecedented, merciless 6-0 6-0 destruction of Amanda Anisimova in a brutal Wimbledon Centre Court final wipe-out.
In blazing sunshine on the Centre Court, Polish great Swiatek made a nonsense of all her previous struggles on grass-courts as she swept to a majestic victory for a sixth grand slam triumph on Saturday in less than an hour.
The 'double-bagel' triumph, which lasted just 57 minutes, had never happened in a Wimbledon final in the Open era.
The last time it occurred at SW19 was 114 years ago in 1911, when Dorothea Lambert Chambers beat Dora Boothby in an all-British final, while the only modern day equivalent was the 1988 French Open final when Steffi Graf routed Natasha Zvereva.
It ensured that at 24, Swiatek becomes the youngest woman since Serena Williams to win majors on all three surfaces after her four French Open titles on clay and her 2022 US Open win.
And it prompted her to have a post-title swipe at her critics who've tried to unpick why she hadn't won a title for over a year.
"For sure, the past months, how the media sometimes describe me - and I've got to say, unfortunately, Polish media - how they treated me and my team, it wasn't really pleasant," said Swiatek, who had served a one-month doping ban at the end of last season after taking contaminated medication.
"I hope they will just leave me alone and let me do my job because obviously you can see that we know what we are doing, and I have the best people around me.
"I have already proved a lot. I know people want more and more - but it's my own process and my own life and my own career."
Presented with the Venus Rosewater Dish by Kate, the Princess of Wales, Swiatek had delivered a right royal performance, exhibiting machine-like quality with her groundstrokes as Anisimova, the American 13th seed, never recovered from getting broken to 15 in the opening service game.
"I think everyone's in a state of shock at what's happened," said three-time Wimbledon champ John McEnroe, echoing everyone's feelings from the commentary box. "Swiatek played someone who absolutely froze. And it was so hard to watch."
Inevitably, the tears came for Animisova, whose comeback had been one of the stories of the championship, with the former teenage prodigy having stepped away from tennis for eight months in 2023 to prioritise her mental health.
Much was expected after the way she'd beaten world No.1 Aryna Sabalenka in the semis, but she was the first to admit her failings after coughing up 28 mistakes in just a dozen games.
"I was a bit frozen there, with my nerves. Maybe the last two weeks I got a bit tired or something," said the 23-year-old, who skipped practice on Friday because of fatigue and felt pain in her right shoulder while warming up before the match.
"I ran out of gas today and I wish I could have put on a better performance for you," she told the crowd after paying a tearful tribute to her mum.
Nothing, though, could be taken away from Swiatek. She's the eighth consecutive first-time Wimbledon champion, but her's is a name that truly belongs in the event's hall of fame after she'd never previously got beyond the quarter-finals.
The first Polish winner at Wimbledon in 148 years had spent 125 weeks as the world No.1 between 2022 and 2024 but had slumped to a No.8 seeding after her win famine. Now she's back where she belongs.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Perth Now
an hour ago
- Perth Now
Sweet revenge: Sinner downs Alcaraz to win Wimbledon
Jannik Sinner has exorcised the wretched memory of his painful French Open title capitulation by defeating his great young rival Carlos Alcaraz and ripping away his Wimbledon crown. In a fine final but one that never quite hit the extraordinary heights of their Roland-Garros thriller five weeks earlier, Sinner proved too icily consistent for the erratic champion on a warm afternoon on Centre Court on Sunday, prevailing 4-6 6-4 6-4 6-4 to earn his fourth grand slam title. The 23-year-old world No.1 recovered from losing the first set, which Alcaraz wrapped up with the shot of the match, to then dominate proceedings and seal victory in four minutes over three hours. "This was only a dream, it was far away where I'm from," Sinner told the crowd after collecting the trophy from Kate, Princess of Wales. "I'm just living my dream, it's amazing." Alcaraz had pulled off an incredible escape in Paris when he saved three championship points in a five-set, five-hour 29-minute epic, but this time Sinner was not about to let him off the hook as he constantly applied the pressure with his suffocatingly accurate and powerful groundstrokes. It was his first victory over Alcaraz in his last six attempts as he handed the 22-year-old Spaniard his first defeat in a grand slam final. Alcaraz had been on a career-best 24-match unbeaten run, and had won 20 matches in a row at the All England Club, including victories against Novak Djokovic in the 2023 and 2024 finals, yet he couldn't join the elite group to have won three in a row.

News.com.au
2 hours ago
- News.com.au
Wimbledon clash of the titans as Alcaraz, Sinner face off
Carlos Alcaraz will target a third successive Wimbledon title as Jannik Sinner aims to win the All England Club crown for the first time in the latest enthralling chapter of their burgeoning rivalry. Just five weeks after Alcaraz staged one of the all-time great fightbacks to beat Sinner in a classic French Open final, the pair bring their battle for supremacy to Wimbledon's hallowed Centre Court on Sunday. Alcaraz and Sinner have shared seven of the past eight Grand Slams between them, evenly splitting the six on offer since the start of 2024. The tennis world has been captivated by the emergence of the new rivalry after the storied era of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic. Alcaraz is the flashy showman who has stolen the hearts of the Centre Court crowd, while world number one Sinner is Djokovic 2.0 — a ruthlessly efficient operator who rarely misses. Two-time defending Wimbledon champion Alcaraz will start as the marginal favourite on Sunday but knows he has to bring his best to keep Sinner at bay. The Spanish world number two has won eight of his 12 matches against his Italian rival, including the past five. Their most recent clash was in last month's phenomenal five-and-a-half hour French Open final, when Alcaraz rallied from two sets down and saved three match points to defend his clay-court title. The 22-year-old, who has five majors under his belt, is on a career-best winning run of 24 matches and is unbeaten at the All England Club since 2022. But three-time Grand Slam winner Sinner, playing his first Wimbledon final, will take heart from the fact that he was the last man to beat Alcaraz at Wimbledon, in the fourth round three years ago. The Spaniard, who beat US fifth seed Taylor Fritz in the semi-finals, does not believe his remarkable comeback in Paris gives him the mental edge. 'I'm pretty sure he's going to take a lot of things from the French Open final,' he said. 'He's going to be better physically, he's going to be better mentally. He's going to be prepared to give 100 per cent.' Both men have shown vulnerabilities during their runs to the final. Alcaraz was taken to five sets in his opener against Italian veteran Fabio Fognini and has dropped sets in three of his other matches. Sinner, 23, was rock solid for three rounds but had an almighty scare – and a huge slice of luck – when his fourth-round opponent, Grigor Dimitrov, retired when leading by two sets. But he swept past US 10th seed Ben Shelton in straight sets and demolished an under-par Djokovic in the semi-finals. Mental edge The Italian top seed played down the lingering impact of his defeat at Roland Garros. 'I think if it was too much in my head, I would not be in the situation to play a final again,' he said. 'I'm very happy to share the court with Carlos once again. It's going to be difficult, I know that. 'But I'm looking forward to it. I always try to put myself in these kind of situations that I really love. Sundays at every tournament are very special.' Alcaraz is attempting to join an elite club of players in the Open era who have won Wimbledon three years in a row — Bjorn Borg, Pete Sampras, Federer and Djokovic. But if there is one man who can stop him it is Sinner, the reigning US Open and Australian Open champion, who has been impressive since his return in May from a three-month doping ban. The match is too close to call, though seven-time champion Djokovic narrowly favours Alcaraz. 'I think I will give a slight edge to Carlos as a favourite because of the two titles he's won here and the way he's playing and the confidence he has right now,' he said. 'But it's just a slight advantage because Jannik is hitting the ball extremely well. I think it's going to be, again, a very close match-up like they had in Paris.'

News.com.au
3 hours ago
- News.com.au
Prince William, Kate and kids watch the men's singles final from the Royal Box at Wimbledon
Prince William, Princess Kate and two of their kids have settled into the Royal Box at Wimbledon for this afternoon's men's singles final. The beaming family waved to fans as they landed in SW19 on Sunday for the showdown match between Italian Jannik Sinner, 23, and Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz, 22. Tipped to be an all-time classic final, Kate and Wills, both 43, are watching on from the Royal Box as the top two players in the world battle it out in front of a packed Centre Court crowd of 15,000, The Sun reports. They have been joined by two of their three children, George, 11, and Charlotte, 10 – for the game. The family stepped into the Royal Box shortly before the start of the hotly-anticipated match, greeting and smiling to other attendees. Thousands of fans rose to their feet to applaud the royals as they took their seats at the front of the Royal Box. Alcaraz will target a third successive Wimbledon title as Sinner aims to win the All England Club crown for the first time in the latest enthralling chapter of their burgeoning rivalry. Just five weeks after Alcaraz staged one of the all-time great fightbacks to beat Sinner in a classic French Open final, the pair bring their battle for supremacy to Wimbledon's hallowed Centre Court on Sunday. Alcaraz and Sinner have shared seven of the past eight Grand Slams between them, evenly splitting the six on offer since the start of 2024. The tennis world has been captivated by the emergence of the new rivalry after the storied era of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic. Alcaraz is the flashy showman who has stolen the hearts of the Centre Court crowd, while world number one Sinner is Djokovic 2.0 – a ruthlessly efficient operator who rarely misses. Two-time defending Wimbledon champion Alcaraz will start as the marginal favourite on Sunday but knows he has to bring his best to keep Sinner at bay. The Spanish world number two has won eight of his 12 matches against his Italian rival, including the past five. Their most recent clash was in last month's phenomenal five-and-a-half hour French Open final, when Alcaraz rallied from two sets down and saved three match points to defend his clay-court title. The 22-year-old, who has five majors under his belt, is on a career-best winning run of 24 matches and is unbeaten at the All England Club since 2022. But three-time Grand Slam winner Sinner, playing his first Wimbledon final, will take heart from the fact that he was the last man to beat Alcaraz at Wimbledon, in the fourth round three years ago. The Spaniard, who beat US fifth seed Taylor Fritz in the semi-finals, does not believe his remarkable comeback in Paris gives him the mental edge. 'I'm pretty sure he's going to take a lot of things from the French Open final,' he said. 'He's going to be better physically, he's going to be better mentally. He's going to be prepared to give 100 per cent.' Both men have shown vulnerabilities during their runs to the final. Alcaraz was taken to five sets in his opener against Italian veteran Fabio Fognini and has dropped sets in three of his other matches. Sinner, 23, was rock solid for three rounds but had an almighty scare – and a huge slice of luck – when his fourth-round opponent, Grigor Dimitrov, retired when leading by two sets. But he swept past US 10th seed Ben Shelton in straight sets and demolished an under-par Djokovic in the semi-finals.