World No.1 Iga Swiatek says she'll have new-found belief in her strength after claiming her third French Open crown in the last four years in a thrilling final against unseeded Czech Karolina Muchova.
Swiatek overcame mid-match wobbles to triumph 6-2 5-7 6-4 after two hours and 46 minutes at Roland Garros on Saturday, cementing her status as the best female player in the world, particularly on clay, with her fourth grand slam title.
The 22-year-old Pole has now lost only two out of 26 grand slam matches since moving to world No.1 in April last year and she became the youngest woman to bag consecutive trophies at Roland Garros since Monica Seles, who won from 1990-92.
The US Open champion also joined Seles and Naomi Osaka as the only women in the Open Era to emerge victorious in each of their first four grand slam finals.
But this was by some distance the hardest of Swiatek's major finals, with world No.43 Muchova battling back from a set and 3-0 down to force a decider, fuelled by belief from her huge semi-final upset of world No.2 Aryna Sabalenka, the Australian Open champion.
"This one, for sure, it was a little bit tougher in terms of injuries and the pressure, and also coming back to this tournament as a defending champion," said Swiatek after becoming the first woman since Justine Henin in 2007 to successfully defend her title on the Paris clay.
"I'm happy that I finished the whole clay court swing so well and that I kind of survived. I guess I'm never going to doubt my strength again."
Muchova has struggled badly with injuries during her career and it was only last year that doctors told her she might have to give up the game.
"The feeling is a little bitter, because I felt it was very close, a close match," she said.
"But overall, to call myself a grand slam finalist, it's an amazing achievement, and for sure big motivation for me to work in the future and to get a chance again to play for these big titles."
Fourth seeds Ivan Dodig and Austin Krajicek later won the men's doubles title as the Croatian-American pair defeated Belgians Sander Gille and Joran Vliegen 6-3 6-1.
with PA
