PARIS: Polish teenager Iga Swiatek won her country's first Grand Slam singles title on Saturday as she defeated American fourth seed Sofia Kenin 6-4, 6-1 to become the youngest women's French Open champion since 1992.
The 19-year-old Swiatek, at 54 the lowest-ranked woman to capture the Roland Garros title in the modern era, is the ninth first-time major champion in the past 14 Grand Slams.
"It had to be like that that another underdog won a Grand Slam in women's tennis. It is so often right now that it is crazy," said Swiatek, who captured her first tour title in the process.
"I don't know what's going on. It's overwhelming for me, it's crazy.
"Two years ago I won a junior Grand Slam (at Wimbledon) and now I'm here. It feels like such a short time."
Swiatek is the youngest women's French Open winner since Monica Seles lifted the trophy as an 18-year-old in 1992. She is the first teenage champion since Iva Majoli in 1997.
"It's crazy for me because I watched Rafael Nadal lift the trophy every year and now I'm in the same place," she said.
Swiatek also became just the second unseeded women's Roland Garros champion in the Open era, joining Jelena Ostapenko who claimed a shock title three years ago.
From the archives: French Open bubble not a real bubble, but Paris off-limits
She eclipsed the run of compatriot Jadwiga Jedrzejowska -- the most outstanding Polish player of the interwar period -- who finished runner-up at Roland Garros in 1939.
Swiatek was only the second Polish woman to reach a Grand Slam final in the Open era after Agnieszka Radwanska at Wimbledon in 2012. She had never previously been beyond the last 16.
Australian Open champion Kenin, 21, was attempting to become the first woman to capture two Slams in the same year since Angelique Kerber in 2016.
"I just want to congratulate Iga on a great tournament and a great match. You played really well," said Kenin.
Swiatek rises to the challenge
Swiatek, whose only previous tour-level final came at Lugano last year, dispelled any initial fear of nerves as she won 12 of the first 15 points to surge 3-0 ahead.
However, Kenin has made a habit of fighting through tough situations in Paris and broke back when Swiatek served an untimely double fault allowing the American to level at 3-all.
Swiatek, who bludgeoned her way into the championship match, conceding just 23 games in six rounds, secured a precious hold before Kenin lost her serve for the second time.
Serving for the first set at 5-3, Swiatek dumped a tame backhand into the net on set point and Kenin immediately broke back, ripping a blistering backhand return.
Kenin's resilience has been a staple of her success but she cracked again to present Swiatek with two more set points at 4-5, promptly dragging a backhand wide to hand the Pole the opening set.
The sixth-ranked Kenin, trying to become the first woman to win two Slams in the same season since Angelique Kerber in 2016, broke to begin the second set.
But an undeterred Swiatek responded the following game, smacking a backhand down the line to break once more before holding with ease to go 2-1 up.
Kenin subsequently called for a medical timeout to receive off-court treatment on her taped left thigh, but she could not slow the momentum of her opponent as Swiatek broke for a fifth time.
Swiatek won the next eight points to storm to the cusp of the title at 5-1, securing a historic triumph with a powerful cross-court forehand on her first match point.
"I was just mentally consistent. I just wanted to play aggressive as in previous rounds. It was really stressful for me so kind of hard," said Swiatek, who will rise to 17th on Monday.
"I don't know what made the difference. I won the match point and that is important enough."
Five interesting facts
Girl from nowhere -- Until Saturday's triumph, Swiatek's only Tour-level final was in Lugano last year where she lost to 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 to the experienced Polona Hercog. Before Saturday, her biggest titles had been on the second-tier ITF tour in Budapest and Montreux in 2018.
However, she had tasted previous success at Roland Garros -- winning the girls' doubles title with Caty McNally in 2018.
Paradise city -- Unlike most teenagers, Swiatek has a fondness for classic rock from Guns N'Roses to Pink Floyd to AC/DC.
"I am still listening to Guns N'Roses' Welcome to the Jungle because I want to keep my routines," she said earlier in the tournament.
"Actually I wanted to change it because right now it's kind of boring to listen every day to the same song. But yeah, I stayed with Guns N'Roses because I wanted to win."
As the final approached, she switched to Pink Floyd.
"I love Learning to Fly, Comfortably Numb, and recently I've been listening to Shine On You Crazy Diamond," she told WTA Insider.
"If I want something more aggressive, AC/DC gets me in the mood. I've been listening to Thunderstruck before matches."
School's out -- The 19-year-old arrived at the French Open puzzling over whether her future was on a tennis court or inside a university lecture hall.
"Right now it's going to be hard to make a decision to go back to studying because I feel like really I can achieve big things. I just want to focus on that.
"But I'm only 19, so a lot can change during a few years. We are going to see. Maybe I'm going to be, like, hungry for knowledge. Really I'm not going to make a decision right now."
After Saturday and with her bank balance boosted by $1.9 million, her future direction looks clear.
Nadal fan -- Swiatek is a diehard fan of Rafael Nadal who contests the men's final on Sunday looking for a 13th Roland Garros title.
"He was the only player I watched when I was younger. I just wish him the best and I hope he's going to get another French Open this year," she said.
On Saturday, NBC asked her: "Are you going to be in the stands watching tomorrow?"
"We'll see if I get the tickets!" said the Pole.
Sport in her DNA -- Swiatek's father Tomasz is a former Olympic rower who competed in the men's quadruple sculls event at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul.
LISTEN | Sania Mirza's COVID lockdown interview: