Speaking to Doha News during the post-match press conference, Poland’s star player said that despite being miles away from Warsaw, the immense fan support felt “better than being at home”.
In a tournament first, Poland’s Iga Swiatek won her third consecutive win at the Qatar TotalEnergies Open 2024 on Sunday.
In the final showdown of this year’s open, the 22-year-old world number one star went head to head with a formidable opponent Kazakhstan’s Elana Rybakina.
The first set started with a strong 4-1 Rybakina lead. However, an accident during a service motion midway saw the world number four stop for a medical time-out.
The Polish star then found her swing and went on to secure a 7-6(8), 6-2 win after the second set.
This makes Swiatek the first Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) player to win three straight titles since Serena Williams won her three-peat at the 2015 Miami Open.
In her post-match comments, Swiatek remarked that the first set was unexpectedly “really long and tough”. She also congratulated Rybakina, who ranks number 4 globally, and her team for a great tournament and doing a great job.
“We’ve already played so many tough matches that I think it’s going to be just great if we continue [and] just give a nice experience to the fans,” she added.
‘Better than home’
After her firework-studded award ceremony, which saw the attendance of Qatar’s Sheikha Al-Mayassa bin Khalifa Al Thani and Nasser Al Khelaifi, Group Chairman of beIN Media Group, Doha News caught up with Swiatek during her post-match press conference.
When asked about the support she received from fans in the stands, she said it felt “better than being home”.
The centre court was awash with the Polish flag and match silences were filled with chants: “Go Iga!”
The world number added that there was immense support for Rybakina during Saturday’s showdown.
During an interview with the Women’s Tennis Association, Kazakhstan’s finalist said she fought until the end.
“Today is not the day, but I accepted it,” she added.
Although the women’s tournament has drawn to a close, tennis fans in Doha can look forward to the 2024 Qatar ExxonMobil tournament, which begins on Monday.
