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Iga Swiatek admitted that she felt the pressure of expectations as she beat Elena Rybakina on Saturday to complete a Doha three-peat.
Having received a walkover against Karolina Pliskova in the semifinal on Friday, World No. 1 Swiatek was the fresher of the two players but made an unusually slow start, falling two breaks down.
However, the four-time Grand Slam champion recouped both breaks to force a tiebreak - where she saved a set point - before converting her fourth set point. With Rybakina's challenge fading in the second set after squandering an early break opportunity, Swiatek dropped just two games to win her 18th singles title.
She has now won 24 of her last 25 sets - including the last 23 - in Doha, becoming the first player to win three straight titles. Nevertheless, in her on-court interview, the 22-year-old admitted that the weight of expectations 'stressed' her out:
“Oh my god guys. You don’t even know hard it was not to think about it. I came here and was pretty stressed because I felt the expectations."
However, she's proud of her efforts as she improves to 11-1 in 2024.
"I wanted to do everything step by step like I always do. I’m really happy. I’m really proud of myself.”
Meanwhile, despite her defeat, Rybakina remains the season leader with 15 wins.
Iga Swiatek's 2024 season so far
Iga Swiatek has continued from where she left off last season, winning her first five matches in 2024 - all at the United Cup Down Under.
She was riding an 11-match win streak from 2023, romping to the titles at the China Open and the WTA Finals in Cancun, dropping just one set. The latter triumph also took Swiatek past Aryna Sabalenka as she finished the year as the World No. 1.
During her run at the United Cup this year, the World No. 1 conceded just one set in five matches. Swiatek dropped a set in her first two matches at the Australian Open before she was stunned by Linda Noskova in the third round, which snapped the Pole's 13-match win streak.
To her credit though, she's back on the winning trail in Doha. Starting off her campaign with a dominant 6-1, 6-1 win over Sorana Cirstea, Swiatek brushed aside Ekaterina Alexandrova 6-1, 6-4 before beating two-time Doha winner Victoria Azarenka 6-4, 6-0.
Following a walkover by Pliskova in the semifinal, Swiatek beat Rybakina to win her first title of the 2024 season.
