Polish tennis star Iga Świątek won the French Open for the second time in her career on Saturday and sent a strong message to Ukrainian people.
This season, the Polish sensation won her 35th consecutive meeting on the court. She continued her amazing winning streak, but after the victory in the finals of French Open she could not help but be moved, and the leader of the WTA rankings had a tear in her eyes when the Polish national anthem was performed.
After a 6-1, 6-3 win against American Cori Gauff, Świątek received congratulations from her team and she thanked them during her ceremony speech. The Pole however received the biggest applause from the crowd when commenting on the ongoing situation in Ukraine.
“Stay strong, because the war is still there,” Świątek told the Ukrainian people, for whom she has been wearing a blue and yellow ribbon for the past few months to show her support and solidarity.
“Since my first speech in Doha I was hoping that the situation was going to get better, but I still have hopes and try to support [Ukraine],” Świątek told the crowd.
The match in Paris was watched by another superstar of Polish and world sport, footballer Robert Lewandowski. The outgoing Bayern Munich striker and captain of the Polish national team congratulated Świątek on her victory in Paris.
This is the second Grand Slam won in Świątek’s career. Two years earlier her triumph in Paris was a big sensation with no one betting that she would win. Due to Covid-19 pandemic, the tournament started in early Autumn and games had been played behind closed doors.
In the current season, the Polish tennis player has won six tournaments already. She was unmatched in Doha, Indian Wells, Miami, Stuttgart and Rome.
Świątek has now strengthened her lead in the WTA ranking, receiving €2.2 million for her triumph in Paris.
