Polish tennis star Iga Swiatek clinched the bronze medal in women’s singles at the 2024 Paris Olympics, defeating Slovakian Anna Karolina Schmiedlova 6-2, 6-1 in a swift 59-minute match. This historic win marks Poland’s first-ever Olympic tennis medal, breaking a 40-year drought for Polish tennis players on the Olympic podium.Swiatek, a four-time French Open champion and current world No. 1, was initially favored for gold but suffered a surprising semifinal loss to China’s Zheng Qinwen. The defeat was emotionally challenging for Swiatek, who described it as ‘one of the toughest losses I probably ever had in my career’. She revealed that she wept for six hours after the loss, feeling overwhelmed by the pressure of representing her country.Despite the setback, Swiatek regrouped with the help of her sports psychologist, Dara Abramowicz, to secure the bronze. ‘Although I didn’t achieve my biggest dream, I did everything I could. At these Games, I tried to show my maximum,’ Swiatek reflected after her victory.In other Olympic tennis news, the women’s doubles event saw a remarkable performance from the Russian duo of 17-year-old Mirra Andreeva and Diana Schneider. They advanced to the final, guaranteeing at least a silver medal. Andreeva is now on track to become the youngest tennis medalist at the Olympics since Jennifer Capriati in 1992.The women’s singles gold medal match, scheduled for Saturday, will feature China’s Zheng Qinwen facing Croatia’s Donna Vekic. Meanwhile, the women’s doubles final on Sunday will see Andreeva and Schneider competing against the Italian pair of Sara Errani and Jasmine Paolini.
Key points
- Iga Swiatek won bronze in women’s singles tennis at the 2024 Paris Olympics, securing Poland’s first Olympic tennis medal.
- Russian duo Mirra Andreeva and Diana Schneider advanced to the women’s doubles final, with 17-year-old Andreeva set to become the youngest tennis medalist since 1992.
- Swiatek overcame significant emotional challenges following her semifinal loss to claim the bronze medal.
