Iga Świątek wins Wimbledon, and the New York Times publishes a recipe for strawberry pasta [COLUMN]

On Saturday, July 12, 2025, the world stopped for two hours. Iga Świątek not only won Wimbledon—she "destroyed" it. Amanda Anisimova stood no chance. The result? 6-0, 6-0. Carnage and a bagel, as the New York Times put it. It was the most one-sided final since 1911. Świątek won her sixth Grand Slam title, adding her four Roland Garros and one US Open triumph to her London victory. And all this in her 100th Grand Slam match. Someone here likes round numbers and... strawberry pasta—because that's what the media around the world is writing about.

Media outlets around the world have gone wild over Iga Świątek. That much is certain. The New York Times is writing about "surgical precision," The Times about "a crushing triumph," and The Guardian is offering a metaphor: "Anisimova's nightmare at Iga Świątek's bakery." Two "bagels"—two rolls with a hole in the middle—is a tennis term for a 6-0 score, familiar for years but rarely used in Grand Slam finals, especially those at Wimbledon.

And then things got truly absurd. The New York Times— the same one that reviews Broadway premieres and covers presidential elections—published... a recipe for strawberry pasta. In Polish, with a culinary twist.

As Gazeta Wyborcza reports, Lubella decided that this was the perfect moment for a marketing campaign: it announced a limited edition of pasta in the shape of... tennis rackets.

The Maspex Group, the manufacturer of Lubella pasta , officially announced the news on its social media and presented a hypothetical look for the pasta. It added that it will be produced:

We attach a visualization.

The Athletic magazine didn't bother with the culinary aspects. It wrote bluntly: Iga Świątek is the greatest tennis player since Serena Williams. And it's hard to disagree – six Grand Slam titles, dominance on every surface, ruthless consistency. The Guardian journalists are searching for words: trashing, crushing, destruction. The French magazine l'Équipe serves up the title "Gargantuan" and calls her match a "masterpiece" – chef-d'œuvre .

The Polish media are also taking a shine to this. One website aptly titled their report: "God Save the Queen." It's clear which queen they're referring to. Another, more seriously, debunked the myth of "mentalism." It wasn't the mind that won Wimbledon, argued Sebastian Parfjanowicz, but physical preparation, technique, tactics, and coaching genius. Wim Fissette, Daria Abramowicz, Maciej Ryszczuk – that's the trio that got Iga on the grass. It worked.

Grass, as we know, can be treacherous. Jadwiga Jędrzejowska played in the final in 1937, Agnieszka Radwańska in 2012. But it was Iga Świątek who achieved the impossible. Wimbledon belonged to her. On the court – undisputed. In pop culture – instantly. Sporting perfection and... strawberry pasta. Who would have thought that this duo would go down in history as Polish sports champion?

And since we're on the subject of strange sports-culinary marriages, it's time to remind ourselves of the original. Long before Iga Świątek crushed Wimbledon and conquered the New York Times with strawberries, Poland had another culinary pioneer. A man who not only won competitions, but did it... on a banana bun.

Adam Małysz – ski jumping legend and four-time Crystal Globe winner – owed part of his success to this unique combination . A roll and a banana. Simple, cheap, and effective. Invented together with Professor Jerzy Żołędzi during a competition in Harrachov , it was meant to be light, high-energy, and without the risk of gaining excess weight.

The "Eagle of Vistula" diet was minimalist and demanding – just 1,500 kcal per day. Just enough to soar over the ski jump without losing strength. But hidden in this simplicity was a strategy. Well-thought-out, scientifically tailored, physiologically refined. But largely – simple, and perhaps perversely, in times of excess and innovative solutions, we are returning to our roots: minimalism and simplicity, for which we clearly long.

Ingredients for strawberry pasta? Strawberries, pasta, cream.