"I want to show my support to all people suffering in Ukraine" - Emotional Swiatek after Doha win

Newly crowned Qatar Open champion Iga Swiatek lent her support to the people in Ukraine following Russia's invasion, saying she found it hard to picture a conflict so close to her homeland.

Switek played superb tennis all week long and stormed to a 6-2 6-0 victory in the Doha final, beating fourth seed Anett Kontaveit in 64 minutes on Saturday and ending the Estonian's nine-match win streak. Immediately after the match, Swiatek shifted focus to something very close to her heart saying:

"I want to show my support to all the people who are suffering in Ukraine. Seeing those images is really emotional for me. I wouldn't even imagine stuff like that happening in the country next to me. I hope everybody will be safe in the end."

Speaking about the war in a neighbouring country to her native Poland made Swiatek almost tear up as she continued:

"If sport can connect us even if a bit today and give us a tiny bit of joy in these tough moments, I’m grateful for that.”