Iga Swiatek suffered a shock straight-sets defeat to eventual gold-medallist Zheng Qinwen in the semi-finals, though she recovered to beat Anna-Karolina Schmiedlova in the bronze-medal match to claim Poland’s first-ever tennis medal at the Olympics
Iga Swiatek says she is “hungry for more” after claiming the bronze medal at the Paris Olympics. (Medal Table | Schedule & Results | Full Coverage)
Swiatek has been a dominant force at Roland-Garros, winning four of the last five French Opens, including this year’s, after cruising past Jasmine Paolini.
The Pole was the favourite going into the Games too, and looked set to make good on that promise as she picked up where she left off on the clay court.
However, she suffered a shock straight-sets defeat to eventual gold-medallist Zheng Qinwen in the semi-finals, though she recovered to beat Anna-Karolina Schmiedlova in the bronze-medal match to claim Poland’s first-ever tennis medal at the Olympics.
Reflecting on her time in Paris, Swiatek acknowledged the rollercoaster of emotions that came with the tournament and how much she has progressed since competing in Tokyo three years ago.
“After a couple of days, I feel ready to sum up this chapter… Joy, happiness, sadness, disappointment, satisfaction, hunger for more, pride and so many other emotions, thoughts… I’m still figuring it out, and I feel how valuable this experience was to me,” Swiatek said in a post on social media.
“Maybe in the future, I will assess two weeks with a bigger picture and better perspective, but I already see a lot. First of all, how much progress I’ve made since Tokyo. How much I can do, how many opportunities I have to become a better player and human.
“But what’s most important is how much I’ve experienced here. It was a special time that wouldn’t be possible without my team and my family. Thank you for what you did for me.
“Zheng Qinwen, Donna Vekic, huge congrats to you! I’m grateful I could share the Olympic podium with you two.”
Swiatek recently pulled out of the Canadian Open, but she will be back on the WTA Tour next week to compete in Cincinnati as she prepares for the US Open at the end of the month.
The 23-year-old, who is targeting her second grand slam win in New York, also expressed her pride at seeing tennis take the spotlight in Paris.
“When I’m thinking about the Olympics and tennis, I’m so proud how our sport was pictured in Paris.
“So many amazing matches, inspirational stories, amazing pictures from the opening ceremony where tennis players had a special place.
“We should appreciate that tennis plays such an important role in the world of sports. I’m happy that my story is part of it.”
