WTA Finals: Iga Swiatek thrashes Jessica Pegula in final to take number one rankings spot

Iga Swiatek thrashed Jessica Pegula to win the season-ending WTA Finals and move back to the top of the women’s rankings.

The Pole needed to beat the American in the final in Cancun to overtake Aryna Sabalenka as world number one and she did so with a dominant 6-1 6-0 win.

The 22-year-old was in clinical mood as Pegula struggled to find her range in a match lasting just 59 minutes.

It is the first time Swiatek has won the WTA Finals tournament.

She is the youngest champion of the tournament since Petra Kvitova’s 2011 win at the age of 21.

“I want to thank my team who have been with me for the whole season,” said Swiatek.

“We’ve had many ups and downs but this is for sure an up, and we’ll have many more if we keep working like that.”

The final took place a day late on Monday following bad weather at the event but was played out in sunshine at the venue in Cancun, Mexico.

Swiatek was quickly out of the blocks and broke in the fourth game to take a 3-1 lead before racing away to claim the first set in 27 minutes.

It was the first set either player had dropped at the event and Pegula, the world number five, lost her serve for a third time in the first game of the second set.

Swiatek was overwhelming her rival and broke to love to go 3-0 up on the way to securing her sixth WTA title of the season.