Quote of the Day: Iga Swiatek leans into ‘win ugly’ mentality in US Open final run

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NEW YORK—Coming into the US Open, world No. 1 Iga Swiatek was not tipped as a heavy favorite in the same way she had been at Roland Garros and Wimbledon.

And it’s understandable, after her epic 37-match win-streak eventually came to an end at the grass-court Slam, and after she didn’t pick up a title in the build-up to Flushing Meadows. Not to mention, Swiatek made a point to mention her dislike for the “horrible” Wilson tennis balls used at the Open.

But despite the challenges, the top seed navigated her way through a tricky draw and, after a 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 victory over Aryna Sabalenka, was rewarded with a place in her second Grand Slam final of the year.

“It's something that I didn't have when I was younger, to actually be able to sometimes—maybe not ‘win ugly’ but, yeah—win when you're not feeling 100% on,” she reflected after the match.

“It's great actually because I feel like the best players out there who are able to do that are the biggest champions. So I'm also aiming to find that more and more often.”

Our Baseline Quote of the Day:

Q. How do you feel to make a major final at a tournament where maybe you weren't trusting yourself as much and you didn't necessarily come into the tournament with the confidence level that you had had earlier in the season?

IGA SWIATEK: I just feel like the work that I did pays off. Like, even though I lost in Toronto and Cincinnati pretty early, you're going to kind of have your chances and you have to be ready during that time to actually use them and not be held on after, I don't know, some losses that you had.

I'm pretty happy that on this tournament I just was kind of fresh actual mentally to actually use the chances. I'm pretty happy that even though maybe I wasn't feeling 100% perfectly from the beginning of the tournament, I was still able to get better and better and to play really solid game.

It's the best thing basically. Like on clay, I feel just perfect, you know. But for me actually winning when I'm not feeling perfectly, it's the best kind of thing and best feeling.

The satisfaction is pretty big.

Up next, French Open champion Swiatek will take on Wimbledon finalist Ons Jabeur for a shot at the US Open title.

It will be their fifth meeting overall, and both players will be aiming for a victory that would write their names in the tennis history books back home: Jabeur is aiming to become the first African woman in the Open era to win the US Open, while Swiatek would become the first Polish woman to do so.