Iga Swiatek may well still be on a high after blitzing US star Amanda Anisimova 6-0 6-0 to lift her sixth major trophy at Wimbledon. But she’ll be even happier once she realises the milestone has brought her into the realms of one of the game’s all time greats. The 24-year-old Polish icon ended her 13-month title drought in stunning fashion as she conquered her opponent in just under an hour on the famous Centre Court.
It had been a challenging year for the former world No. 1, who came into SW19 as the eighth seed due to her not having secured a major title since the 2024 French Open. However, not only is she back to winning ways but she can now say she is just £2.5 million shy from matching tennis legend Venus Williams for prize money. Williams, 45, has won seven Grand Slam singles titles in her career, and has flirted with making a return to the court in recent times, having pocketed £31.5m ($42.6m) in earnings. Swiatek, meanwhile, has six major singles titles under her belt and already boasts a bank balance that is bulging, partly thanks to the £29m ($39.4m) in prize money she has won on the court.
While Swiatek’s win at SW19 was her first major win on grass, she picked up £3m for her victory, pushing her closer to Williams. Williams is a five-time Wimbledon champion herself but last won the title at the All England Club in 2008, although she did make the final in 2017.
Yet, in a surprising twist, Venus could yet swell her winings further. The US Star didn’t enter any major in 2024 but has accepted a wildcard for the DC Open in Washington which is to be held later this month.
Williams last won a match at the Cincinnati Open way back in August 2023 and the DC event would mark her first tour match since March 2024. Speaking about her return she said:”There’s something truly special about DC, the energy, the fans, the history. This city has always shown me so much love, and I can’t wait to compete there again.”
Along with her sister, Serena, who retired in 2022, the duo controlled the women’s game for over two decades with Serena picking up an eye-watering £70.5m ($94.8m) in her career. Swiatek meanwhile is now back on the march, although she has some way to go to eclipse Serena’s astonishing haul of 23 Grand Slam titles.
Despite her victory edging her closer to one of the all-time greats, Swiatek was also on hand with some kind words for her defeated opponent, Anisimova, as she demonstrated her humility.
“First of all I want to congratulate Amanda for an amazing two weeks,” the newly-crowned champion said. “No matter what happened today, you should be proud of the work you’re doing and I hope we’re going to play many more finals. You have the game for that, so congrats to your team as well.
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“I didn’t even dream of this. For me it was way too far [to dream of]. I feel like I’m already an experienced player after winning Slams before but I never really expected this one.
“I want to thank everyone who makes this tournament so unique because there’s no tournament like it. I was always anxious because walking around here, being on Centre Court. It was huge pressure, a bit too much, but this year I really enjoyed it and improved my game enough to feel comfortable.”
Content Source: www.express.co.uk