Iga Swiatek defeats Jessica Pegula to win the WTA Finals and reclaim No. 1 ranking

Iga Swiatek won the GNP Seguros WTA Finals Cancun with a commanding 6-1, 6-0 victory over Jessica Pegula. Swiatek's victory on Monday ensures that she will finish the season as the year's No. 1 for the second time in a row, surpassing Aryna Sabalenka.

Swiatek has been on a tear since losing in the Round of 16 at the US Open, where she initially surrendered her No. 1 ranking. She has won 12 of 13 matches, including 11 straight, with titles in Beijing and now Cancun. Swiatek won her sixth title of the season and the 17th of her career on the Hologic WTA Tour.

Swiatek lost only 20 games in Cancun, making her run to the WTA Finals the most dominant by far since the round-robin format was reinstated in 2003. Serena Williams set the previous standard in 2012, conceding 32 games.

Swiatek broke first to take a 3-1 lead in the first set. The intensity, quick footwork, and baseline aggression that she displayed in her semifinal win over Sabalenka continued against Pegula.

Swiatek won the first set in 27 minutes, a daunting sign for Pegula given Swiatek's formidable 60-1 record when winning the first set this season. She maintained her lead by breaking Pegula in the first game of the second set.

With Pegula unable to find consistent depth to push Swiatek out of her comfort zone, she finished her ruthless performance by winning 11 consecutive games and clinching the championship in 59 minutes.

Swiatek is the WTA Finals' youngest champion since Petra Kvitova in Istanbul in 2011. She is the second Polish winner of the event, following Agnieszka Radwanska in Singapore in 2015.

SportsLigue