Iga Swiatek decided to donate all her prize money from the Ostrava Open to support World Mental Health Day.
Swiatek's appearance in Ostrava was her first since winning last month's US Open. She secured a maiden hardcourt Grand Slam title after beating Aryna Sabalenka in the semifinal and Ons Jabeur in the final.
Things got even better for the Pole after the final when she was surprised with tiramisu, her favorite dessert, during the post-match press conference. An organizer hid it inside the trophy for the women's singles winner.
Swiatek only needed to win three matches to reach the final of the Ostrava Open after receiving a bye in the opening round. The 21-year-old overcame Ajla Tomljanovic, Caty McNally, and Ekaterina Alexandrova.
This year's French Open champion started as the favorite for the final against Barbora Krejcikova. However, despite winning the opening set, she lost after her Czech opponent recovered to triumph 5-7, 7-6, 6-3.
That disappointment did not stop Swiatek's kind gesture of donating the €58,032 she earned as the runner-up in Ostrava to support Mental Health Awareness Day. The world No. 1 spoke about the move afterward.
"I really wanted to play well here to have a big amount of money to donate ... and I'm pretty happy that I could do that, really want to spread awareness and let people know that they can use the help if they need it, or help others if they have resources. I'm pretty happy to use my position that way."
All that money will go to a non-profit organization in Poland that supports those struggling with mental health issues. Hopefully, it will be put to good use and help those who need it the most.
Although the final loss was disappointing, the Ostrava Open should help Swiatek build momentum before the season-ending WTA Finals in Fort Worth, Texas.
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