Iga Swiatek’s season of supremacy is the hallmark of a serial champion | Tumaini Carayol

US Open triumph showed the supremely talented 21-year-old playing with a newfound grit - and she may yet get even better

In the final week of last season, Iga Swiatek's reward for a solid year was a place among the very best at the WTA Finals in Guadalajara. After the highs of winning the French Open late in 2020 and the adjustments she made as her whole world changed, Swiatek had enjoyed a good full season as a champion. But in Mexico she struggled badly. Swiatek lost her first two matches, quickly exiting the event in the group stages.

Back then, it still felt like the improvements needed for her to command the hard courts as she had done clay would take some time. Instead, almost a year later, she is a different player.