Caroline Garcia became the first player to earn her way into the main draw through the qualifying event and go all the way to Western & Southern Open champion. She defeated Petra Kvitova 6-2, 6-4 to win her first WTA 1000 title.
Garcia defeated three Top 10 players this week – No. 3 Sakkari, No. 7 Sabalenka and No. 8 Pegula – en route to the finals, where she defeated the two-time Wimbledon champion Kvitova. Garcia won eight straight matches including the two in qualifying, and 13 of her last 14. She has won 27 main draw matches since June, more than any other player.
Things to Know About the Women’s Final
- This was the first time since seeding began in 1927 that two unseeded players reached the women’s final. Kvitova and Garcia became the 13th and 14th unseeded finalists, and Garcia became the seventh all-time unseeded champion.
- Garcia is the first qualifier to hoist the Rookwood Cup as champion.
- Garcia is the all-time first Frenchwoman to win in Cincinnati.
- Ranked No. 35, Garcia becomes the third-lowest-ranked champion in the Open Era (Victoria Azarenka, 59, ’20; Vera Zvonareva, 50, ’06)
CONGRATULATIONS CAROLINE GARCIA!
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