Iga Swiatek just 4th WTA star to achieve impressive feat after winning Olympic bronze
Iga Swiatek rebounded from semi-final heartbreak to leave Paris 2024 with a medal – achieving a surprisingly rare feat.
Twenty-four hours ago, the Pole was heartbroken as she slumped to a shock 6-2, 7-5 defeat in her semi-final against Zheng Qinwen of China.
The 23-year-old was left in tears in the mixed zone as she fell victim to one of the biggest shocks in Olympic tennis history, losing at Roland Garros for the first time since 2021, and seeing a 23-match clay win streak ended.
However, out on Court Philippe Chatrier on Friday, she bounced back to seal a medal – even if it was not the colour she wanted.
In a much-improved display, Swiatek breezed past Anna Karolina Schmiedlova 6-2, 6-1 to become the first Polish tennis medallist in Olympic history.
“[There’s] a lot of mixed emotions,” said Swiatek on US TV after the match. “I’d love to play the final tomorrow.
“But just getting up here today and really enjoying playing and being able to do everything professionally and playing such tennis that I could really kind of have peace in my mind gave me a lot.
“I’m happy I could do it and finish this tournament on a positive note.”
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It is not the gold that many predicted Swiatek would take home, but Friday’s triumph does see her become only the fourth WTA player to win an Olympic medal as the world No 1.
The Pole is the first player to do that in 12 years, since Victoria Azarenka at London 2012.
Also aged 23 at the time, the Belarusian was beaten by Serena Williams in her semi-final, though she beat Maria Kirilenko in the bronze medal contest.
The other two world No 1 players to win medals both struck gold.
The first to do so was Steffi Graf when tennis returned to the Games in 1988, the German completing the calendar ‘Golden Slam’ by defeating Gabriela Sabatini in the Seoul 1988 final.
Justine Henin is the other woman to win gold as world No 1, defeating Amelie Mauresmo to win the title at Athens 2004.
Former WTA world No 1 players to miss out on a medal include Serena Williams, who was beaten in round three at the Rio 2016 Games, and Ashleigh Barty – who lost in round one in Tokyo.
All eyes in Paris will be on who takes gold and silver in the women’s final between Qinwen and 13th seed Donna Vekic of Croatia.
It is a third career meeting between the pair, with the head-to-head level at 1-1.
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