Qatar Open: Iga Swiatek Beats Elena Rybakina to win third straight title in Doha

Iga Swiatek found her spark once again with Doha three-peat in her sixth game at the Qatar TotalEnergies Open final on Sunday.

The World No.1 and pole defeated Kazakhstani Elena Rybakina 7-6(8), 6-2 to clinch her third consecutive title in Doha.

With the win, Iga Swiatek has now won her 25th WTA 1000th title, Only Serena Williams has won more.

The American has won seven WTA 1000 titles faster than Swiatek. Serena did it in her 22nd WTA 1000 appearance. Doha was Swiatek’s 25th.

“I never knew that it’s so special to win three times in a row,” Swiatek said. “But I would say that it happens when you actually don’t know about it, so I don’t aim to break any records. I’m just playing tennis, and that’s all.”

There is nothing in women’s tennis at the moment like Peak Swiatek. She’s played in 23 Hologic WTA Tour championship finals — and won 18 of them.

A little more perspective: This was Swiatek’s seventh WTA 1000 title. Since the format was introduced in 2009, no one has won more before her 23rd birthday.

Prior to Sunday’s final, Swiatek had lost her three previous matches to Rybakina, all last year. And that her previous tournament, the Australian Open, ended in the third round with a devastating loss to teenager Linda Noskova.

“I thought I’m gonna lose here in second round,” Swiatek said. “I wasn’t feeling really confident before the tournament. I didn’t also have some peaceful time at home to just focus on working, so I wasn’t really expecting a lot.”

“And then, you know, it felt like if you’re going to give 100 percent and work hard, good things may come.”