WTA No. 1 Iga Swiatek created a bit of history on Monday as she became the first WTA player born in the 2000s to earn more than $20 million in prize money.
Swiatek recorded an emphatic victory in her opening match at the 2023 US Open as she thrashed Sweden's Rebecca Peterson 6-0, 6-1, guaranteeing her at least $123,000 in prize money by reaching the second round of the tournament.
It ensures that the Polish star will cross the $20 million mark in career prize money earned after she started the week with $19,906,763. Swiatek currently ranks 23rd in the Career Prize Money Leaders list, and she'll most certainly break the top 20 if she wins the title, surpassing former No. 1 s such as Naomi Osaka, Martina Navratilova, and Steffi Graf.
Swiatek, therefore, became the first woman born in the 2000s to achieve this landmark, and the second player overall after the men's defending champion Carlos Alcaraz (born in 2003) eclipsed that amount two weeks ago when he was a runner-up at the Cincinnati Masters.
Swiatek ($5,171,686) still trails Aryna Sabalenka ($5,869,635) in prize money earned this season. The world's top two players are also in a hotly-contested battle for the No. 1 ranking this fortnight at the US Open, where Swiatek can only keep her status as the world's best player by going at least one round better than her Belarusian opponent.
Swiatek is set to face Australia's Daria Saville in the second round. The two have actually met on Saville's home turf in Adelaide last season where the Pole emerged a convincing winner in straight sets. And she is looking forward to facing a player who she has a good relationship with.
"Well, honestly, I have to analyze her game, because I think we may have played once before her injuries or surgery that she has. I'm not sure what's her story, you know. But she's a great person. We always, when we pass each other, we say hi and she's really positive."
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