How many titles and matches has Iga Swiatek won this season?

Iga Swiatek became the first player since Serena Williams in 2013 to win five successive WTA Tour events with victory at the Internazionali d’Italia.

The world number one faced Ons Jabeur – who had been on an 11-match winning run – in Sunday’s final in Rome and simply had too much for the Tunisian.

Swiatek won 6-2 6-2, with the 20-year-old Pole getting an early break to establish a 3-0 lead that put her in control of the first set.

As it happened, last week’s Madrid Open champion Jabeur never managed to wrest control back from her opponent – her only break of the match came while 4-1 down in the second, with Swiatek digging deep to save four break points in her next service game.

Swiatek then saw things out to defend her Rome title and add to her impressive recent streak.

Swiatek on verge of WTA history at Roland Garros

Swiatek has emerged victorious from every WTA 1000 event she has entered this season, having previously won in Doha, Indian Wells and Miami. Her fifth WTA Tour title matches Serena’s record and a 28th consecutive match win puts her within touching distance of the best streaks in the 21st century.

Swiatek’s is the fourth-longest winning run in the WTA since 2000. Since then, Venus Williams leads the way with 35 wins in 2000, Serena sits at number two with 34, which she achieved in 2013, and Justine Henin holds the third position with 32 victories from 2007 to 2008.

But Swiatek was quick to salute Jabeur’s efforts after another commendable showing.

Swiatek said: “I want to congratulate Ons because she had such a good run on the clay court.

“You have shown fight, spirit, so much variety that it’s really nice to have you on tour. Your tennis is different and your tennis is really interesting for women’s tennis I think.”

Swiatek now heads to Roland Garros – the scene of her first and only previous grand slam success in 2020 – as the firm favourite.