Ruud didn’t always feel quite so calm about it. He was dining in New York while Swiatek played her title match in Ohio and keeping a close eye on the score. He was secretly chatting with Swiatek’s team throughout the match — “she doesn’t know this,” Ruud said with a laugh — and wondering about their doubles match the next morning.

World number three Iga Swiatek said triumph at the Cincinnati Open gives her a "boost of confidence" before the US Open begins on Sunday.

After back-to-back semifinal losses over the last two years, Iga Swiatek broke through Aug. 17, beating Elena Rybakina for a spot in the finals.