Polish tennis star Iga Swiatek entered the Paris Olympic Games as the overwhelming favorite considering her prowess on clay courts, but her dream of winning gold for her nation was cut short in the semifinals, leaving the World No.1 devastated.
The two-time defending French Open champion returned to a familiar site to compete for Olympic gold, with the tennis event at the Olympics being hosted on the clay courts of Roland Garros. After breezing through the competition in the earlier rounds, Swiatek was eliminated by China’s Zheng Qinwen in the semifinals, destroying her hopes of capturing her first Olympic gold medal.
Although the 23-year would end up winning the Bronze medal, her disappointment was obvious immediately after her semifinal loss. Swiatek looked visibly upset as she left the court, and excused herself in the middle of a post-match interview as she looked on the verge of tears.
Nonetheless, the World No.1 released a statement on social media a few days after receiving her bronze medal. Swiatek revealed she needed some time to process her emotions, but was thankful for all the support she had received from thousands of fans around the world.
“It’s been a while now, so I can now start to summarize this chapter… Joy, happiness, sadness, disappointment, satisfaction, dissatisfaction, pride and many other emotions, many thoughts… I gather these Games in my head and I can feel how full the experience has been for me,” wrote the five-time Grand Slam champion. “I will probably look back on these two weeks with more perspective in some time, but I realize many things, including the progress I have made since Tokyo, but also the things I can still do, the opportunities I can seize to become a better tennis player and a better person – first of all.
“But the most important thing for me is probably everything I have experienced here. It is a special time that would not have been possible without my team and my family. Thank you for everything you do.”
“But the most important thing for me is probably everything I have experienced here. It is a special time that would not have been possible without my team and my family. Thank you for everything you do.”
Swiatek is scheduled to return to competition at next week’s Cincinnati Open