FORT WORTH, Texas – France’s Caroline Garcia was not only happy but she was also massively happy, after she scored the biggest victory of her career with a straight-set defeat of Aryna Sabalenka to win the season-ending WTA Finals on Monday.
Garcia relied on a superb service game to overpower her Belarusian opponent 7-6 (7-4), 6-4 in Fort Worth, Texas.
The 29-year-old from Lyon is only the second French player to win the WTA title after Amelie Mauresmo in 2005.
“It’s definitely a lot of giant happiness,” she said, after a win that will see her pocket US$1.57 million (S$2.2 million) in prize money and 1,375 ranking points.
“A crazy final, a lot of intensity on every point. Just really proud of the work we did throughout the year. It was a great match... I’m really happy to win my biggest title.”
With both sixth-seeded Garcia and seventh-seeded Sabalenka serving beautifully throughout, Monday’s final was settled by the finest of margins.
Both players’ thunderous serves were firing early and neither faced a break point in the first set of the final of the season-ending tournament, which features the WTA Tour’s top eight players.
But in the tiebreak, the Belarusian’s second serve, which has bedevilled her at times this season, failed her again – first a costly double fault to fall behind 5-2 and then another on set point.
Garcia kept the pressure on from there, breaking to open the second set and coming through a tense deuce game to seal the win in a match where she fired 11 aces and never faced a break point.
She said she was pleased with how she handled the pressure at key moments to set up her win.
“Sometimes you are emotional or things don’t go your way,” Garcia said. “Sometimes there is a big fight, so you have to find your way through it... and that was one of the biggest points I improved. Today, one of the most important things was to stay calm and jump on every opportunity.”
Garcia was ranked outside the top 70 in mid-June but has since won four titles, made the US Open semi-finals and will now rise to a career-high No. 4.
After receiving the Billie Jean King trophy from American great Chris Evert, she had kind words for Sabalenka, who stunned world No. 1 Iga Swiatek in Sunday’s semi-final.
“You bring so much energy on the court every time, it’s always a pleasure to watch,” Garcia said.
“It’s great to have all your energy in women’s tennis. We really appreciate it.”
Sabalenka, meanwhile, said momentary lapses had cost her dearly.
“I just dropped my level for a little bit – on the tiebreak and in the first game of the second set,” the 24-year-old said.
“The key moments, I dropped my level. That’s it.”
Nevertheless, she was able to look back with satisfaction on a season that included a Flushing Meadows semi-final appearance in September.
“I learnt how to lose this season,” Sabalenka said. “Before I used to be super aggressive after tough losses. And now I can accept the loss. For me, that’s really important because it’s not only about tennis, it’s about being a good person.”
AFP, REUTERS
