Why I’m celebrating Iga Swiatek’s historic Wimbledon win

Wimbledon champion Iga Swiatek loves bagels. She’s made a habit of handing out 6-0 thrashings to her rivals. But I didn’t expect a double bagel in the Wimbledon final. A tournament where, until now, the Polish tennis star often crashed out in the early rounds. The championship win may now propel her into the hall of fame.

In 2023, during a press conference at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championship, I asked Swiatek whether she saw herself as the next dominant player in women’s tennis after Serena Williams.
“Last year, I was pretty dominant, so yeah,” she said, without batting an eyelid.

It was a bold statement because she had enormous shoes to fill. Swiatek was the world number one at the time. Still, to become a generational player like Chris Evert, Martina Navratilova, Monica Seles, Steffi Graf, Justine Henin, or Serena Williams, sustained dominance is essential.

For a while, she delivered. Swiatek won five Grand Slams — four at the French Open and one at the US Open. But then she slipped. She lost the top spot to Aryna Sabalenka, and her aura of dominance faded. Players she once swept aside began to beat her. She used to be Coco Gauff’s nemesis — not anymore. Gauff went on to win two majors herself, including the 2025 French Open.

Swiatek’s 2024 Roland Garros title seemed like her last big win. Just when many thought her reign at the top had ended, she surprised us with the Wimbledon triumph.

Surprise? Yes, absolutely. She’s a phenomenal athlete, with a powerful forehand and excellent movement, but always seemed circumspect on grass — her best showing at Wimbledon before this was a quarter-final.

This year was different. A semifinal loss in Paris gave her more time to hone her grasscourt game. She arrived at Wimbledon on the back of a final appearance at the Bad Homburg Open. And when other seeds wilted, Swiatek stood tall, storming into the final.

The final was a walk in the park. Most tennis fans had already pencilled her in as the winner. The eighth seed had reached five Grand Slam finals and won them all. Amanda Anisimova didn’t stand a chance. The 13th seed’s nerves made it worse. 6-0, 6-0 in 57 minutes. Two bagels — a rarity in a Wimbledon final (the last was in 1911). But not for Swiatek. She’s used to dishing them out. Anisimova won’t be the last.

This Wimbledon title puts Swiatek’s dreams back on track. She may yet become the defining player of her era. But she’ll have to contend with Sabalenka and Gauff. The game is there — she needs consistency. And she will find it.

For now, let’s toast the new Wimbledon champion.