After winning her first US Open title, Iga Swiatek probably thought her day could not get any better, but a tournament organizer added an extra treat for her to enjoy.
Although Swiatek has been the best player in the world this season, she arrived in New York for the US Open without a hard-court Grand Slam to her name. The 21-year-old's two previous major triumphs came at the French Open in 2020 and again at Roland Garros this year.
Swiatek's level dropped for the first time this season ahead of the year's final Grand Slam. She lost in the round of 16 at the Canadian Open and the Cincinnati Open, giving her rivals some hope ahead of the US Open.
However, the Pole recaptured the form that saw her win an extraordinary 37 consecutive matches from the Qatar Open in February until a loss to Alize Cornet in the third round of Wimbledon in July.
Swiatek reached the final with impressive victories against players like 2017 champion Sloane Stephens, Jessica Pegula, and Aryna Sabalenka. She had to dig in to beat Sabalenka in the semifinal from a set behind.
Ons Jabeur received most of the crowd support in the final, but Swiatek dominated the opening set before holding her nerve better in a second-set tiebreak to prevail 6-2, 7-6 and win the US Open.
After the ceremony ended, Swiatek held her post-match press conference. She was then stunned to find that someone had put tiramisu, the world No. 1's favorite dessert, inside the US Open trophy. Her reaction can be watched in the video below.
Swiatek was amazed and grateful, asking who had snuck her favorite dessert inside the trophy when she did not notice. It made a memorable day even better for the two-time French Open winner.
"Oh, my God. Are you kidding me? Wow, who did that?"
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