In a stunning upset at the 2024 Paris Olympics, world No. 1 Iga Świątek was eliminated from the women’s tennis tournament by China’s Zheng Qinwen in the semifinals. Zheng, ranked 7th in the world, defeated Świątek 6-2, 7-5 in a match that lasted 1 hour and 51 minutes.This loss marks Świątek’s first defeat at Roland Garros since 2021, ending her impressive 25-match winning streak at the venue. The Polish star, who had won four of the last five French Open titles, was considered a heavy favorite for the gold medal.Zheng’s victory is historic, as she becomes the first Chinese tennis player to reach an Olympic singles final, guaranteeing at least a silver medal for her country. The 21-year-old’s strategy of putting pressure on Świątek and capitalizing on her opponent’s errors proved successful.Świątek struggled throughout the match, committing 36 unforced errors, including 16 in the first set alone. Despite a strong start in the second set, where she took a 4-0 lead, Świątek was unable to maintain her advantage.Visibly upset after the match, Świątek broke down in tears during a post-match interview and opted not to speak to written journalists. She will now compete for the bronze medal against the loser of the second semifinal between Slovakia’s Anna Karolina Schmiedlova and Croatia’s Donna Vekic.Zheng, who lost in the Australian Open final earlier this year, now has a shot at the biggest title of her career. She will face the winner of the Schmiedlova-Vekic match in the gold medal final on Saturday.
Key points
- World No.
- Zheng becomes the first Chinese player to reach an Olympic singles final in tennis.
- Świątek’s 25-match winning streak at Roland Garros comes to an end.
- Świątek will now compete for the bronze medal.
1 Iga Świątek was eliminated from the Paris Olympics tennis tournament by China’s Zheng Qinwen.
