Iga Swiatek once again achieved an incredible feat, winning a third consecutive title at the 2024 Qatar Open in Doha.
The Pole struggled a bit Down Under, which got some people thinking about whether she faded off a little bit. Well, not quite. She's still very good, sensationally good, in fact, which she proved at this year's Qatar Open.
She's always played really well in Doha because the conditions really favor the way she plays, and she demonstrated it this time around. She cruised through the draw and got to the finals, where she faced Elena Rybakina.
Rybakina is a really tough matchup for her, and she has bested her a few times in the past. She even played well this time around, nearly winning the opening set, but ultimately lost that set and the second set, too.
Swiatek lifted the trophy, her third overall at the event, and also her third in a row because she triumphed at the event in 2022 and 2023 as well. That feat is known as a three-peat, and it's pretty tough to do in tennis.
It's tough to do in any sport for obvious reasons, but especially so in tennis. By doing that, Swiatek became the first woman since Serena Williams to get it done, and making it even more special, she did it at a WTA 1000 tournament.
It's been a while, too, because Williams did it nearly ten years ago at the Miami Open. She won the 2013, 2014, and 2015 editions of that event, completing the rare achievement.
Now she's joined by Swiatek, who proved once more that she's still No. 1. We'll see whether Swiatek can carry this level to the Dubai Championships as last year, as that's her next event. She went to the final, but was beaten by Barbora Krejcikova in 2023.