Everything you need to know about Iga Swiatek’s run to the Rome title

ROME, Italy -- Iga Swiatek extended her winning streak to 28 consecutive matches with a 6-2, 6-2 victory against No.7 Ons Jabeur on Sunday to successfully defend her title at the Internazionali BNL d'Italia.

Swiatek, the World No.1, has now won five consecutive titles on the Hologic WTA Tour and heads to Roland Garros -- where she was a champion in 2020 -- as the heavy favorite to win a second major trophy. 

Here's what you need to know about Swiatek's run over the past three months:

By the Numbers

21: Games lost by Swiatek this week. Only seven players have lost fewer games en route to the Rome title. Swiatek's 2022 tally is the lowest since Serena Williams lost 14 in 2013. 

16: Consecutive sets won by Swiatek in finals. She has not lost a set since losing her first WTA final at 2019 Lugano, in three sets against Polona Hercog. 

13: 6-0 sets Swiatek has dished out in 2022. No one else on tour has more than four. 

42: Sets won by Swiatek in the past 43 she has played. The only set she has lost since the Round of 16 at Indian Wells was the opening set against Liudmila Samsonova in the Stuttgart semifinals.

3: Winning streaks since the start of 2000 that lasted longer than Swiatek's current run of 28 wins. Venus Williams holds the mark for the longest winning streak of the century, running off 35 straight in 2000. Justine Henin tallied 32 straight in 2008, and in 2013 Serena Williams won 34 straight. 

Swiatek successfully defends Rome to win fifth consecutive title

4: Players in the 2000s to win five or more consecutive tournaments in which they have played. Swiatek joined Venus Williams in 2000, Justine Henin in 2007-2008 and Serena Williams in 2013. 

3: Swiatek becomes the third-youngest player to win two titles in Rome. At 20 years old, she is older than only Chris Evert and Gabriela Sabatini. 

9: Players to win back-to-back Rome titles. Swiatek becomes the ninth, after Chris Evert, Gabriela Sabatini, Conchita Martinez, Amelie Mauresmo, Jelena Jankovic, Maria Sharapova, Serena Williams and Elina Svitolina.

2: Players to win four or more WTA 1000 titles in the same season. Swiatek joins only Serena Williams, who won five in 2013. 

5: WTA 1000 titles Swiatek has won in her career. In fact, she has won five of the past nine WTA 1000s (2021 Rome, 2022 Doha, 2022 Indian Wells, 2022 Miami, 2022 Rome).

5: WTA 1000 titles won by Agnieszka Radwanska. With her fifth, Swiatek is tied with Radwanska for the most 1000-level titles won by a Polish player.

8: Players who have won five or more WTA 1000 titles (since 2009). Swiatek joins the list that includes Caroline Wozniacki, Victoria Azarenka, Maria Sharapova, Serena Williams, Petra Kvitova, Simona Halep and Agnieszka Radwanska.

6: Years since a player has won a fifth WTA 1000 title. Agnieszka Radwanska won her fifth and final WTA 1000 at 2016 Beijing.

8: Years since a player won more than five titles in a single season. Serena Williams won seven in 2014. 

37: Match wins for Swiatek in 2022, including Billie Jean King Cup. This is one more than she won in the entire 2021 season. 

What’s next for Swiatek

On managing the pressure: 

"For me, it was always internal [pressure] before. Right now it's a little bit better 'cause I kind of accepted a few things. It's easier for me right now to not overanalyze stuff.

"I already know that I did some great stuff this season, so I feel like I can just play freely and not think I have to win some tournaments or I have to win some matches or I have to save some points.

"This year, the pressure that I always put on myself, it's a little bit lower. For sure the expectations around [me] are higher, but I never had a problem to cut it off and not to think about it."

On being a heavy favorite at Roland Garros:

"Honestly I'm going to do the same way I've done here, also on other tournaments. For sure it's going to be a little bit harder with all the breaks that we're going to have between matches. I also like the rhythm that we have on Grand Slams. Again, I'm going to try to do step by step, just think of the next match as I did on these tournaments.

"If I'm going to treat it as any other tournament, I think it's going to be fine and I'm going to be able to keep it that way."

Other clay standouts

Ons Jabeur: Jabeur's clay season has been stellar. She has the most match wins on clay, 17, and the most clay finals, 3. In Madrid, she won her first 1000-level event.  The Tunisian has soared up the Race to the WTA Finals leaderboard to sit at No.2 behind Swiatek.

Taking lessons from Swiatek, Jabeur embraces favorite tag for Roland Garros

Bianca Andreescu: The only player to take more than five games in a set against Swiatek this past week, the Canadian steadily built up her game with each tournament on clay. After making the Round of 16 in back-to-back tournaments in Stuttgart and Madrid, Andreescu made her biggest clay quarterfinal in Rome, pushing Swiatek in a 7-6(2), 6-0 loss. 

Jessica Pegula: Outside of Swiatek, the American has been the most consistent player at the WTA 1000s since the start of the 2021 season. It was rewarded in Madrid, where she advanced to her first 1000-level final. She lost in three sets to Jabeur, but Pegula has made strides in her comfort on clay. Her movement and tactics have improved, and with it, a chance to finally break into the Top 10 after Paris.

Aryna Sabalenka: The big-hitter remains an all-surface threat and she proved it once again during the clay season. After a frustrating start to the season on hard courts, Sabalenka says she found her game in Stuttgart. With confident hitting, Sabalenka made the Stuttgart final and Rome semifinals, both times losing to Swiatek.

Jil Teichmann: The crafty Swiss lefty joined Jabeur and Amanda Anisimova as the only players to make the quarterfinals of both Madrid and Rome. The heavy load of matches finally got to her against Daria Kastakina, but Teichmann will now be seeded in Paris. 

Daria Kasatkina: The 25-year-old came within an inch of advancing to her second WTA 1000 final, but an incredible forehand from Jabeur effectively ended what was an otherwise resurgent week for Kasatkina in Rome. Her 6-4, 6-4 win against Paula Badosa should make pundits sit up and take notice.

Amanda Anisimova: The American continued to show that clay could be her best surface. The 2019 Roland Garros semifinalist backed up her Madrid quarterfinal by knocking off Belinda Bencic and Danielle Collins to make the quarterfinals in Rome.