Iga Swiatek's and her reaction to receiving $2.6 million prize money.

The 21-year-old Polish player, who is yet to drop a set this tournament, defeated Argentine qualifier Nadia Podoroska in straight sets in the final.

This is Swiatek’s second Grand Slam title, having won the French Open just last month. Swiatek becomes only the fourth female player in the Open era to win both the French Open and US Open in the same year. She is also the first Polish player, male or female, to win a Grand Slam singles title.

After her victory, Swiatek was presented with a cheque for $2.6 million (approx £1.9 million), which is the largest prize money in tennis history. The previous record was $2.4 million, which was won by American player Serena Williams at the US Open in 2018.

Swiatek said she was “shocked” when she heard how much prize money she had won. “I thought maybe they made a mistake,” she said. “I’m really happy that women’s tennis is moving in the right direction.”

Podoroska, who was playing in her first Grand Slam final, said she was “proud” of her achievement. “It’s been an amazing tournament for me,” she said. “I’m sure I’ll have many more chances to win a Grand Slam.”

When she was asked what she planned to do with her US Open prize money, Iga Swiatek joked: “Probably buy a dog.” But seriously, what will she do with the $2.6 million?

“I think I will just save it because I don’t need anything right now,” Swiatek said. “I have a great team around me. They take care of all of that. I’m just focusing on playing tennis and enjoying my life.”

The US Open prize money is the biggest payday of Swiatek’s young career. She earned $1.2 million for winning the French Open in October 2020, and her previous best was $175,000 for winning a WTA event in Istanbul last year.