Within 24 hours, Iga Swiatek’s devastation turned to pride as the world No.1 made history by becoming Poland’s first Olympic tennis medal winner.
Swiatek dominated surprise-packet Anna Karolina Schmiedlova in the women’s singles bronze medal play-off, winning 6-2 6-1 in less than an hour.
Swiatek’s connection with the Olympic Games runs deep; her father Tomasz Swiatek competed at the Seoul 1988 Games as a Polish rower, finishing seventh in the quadruple sculls.
It made Friday’s triumph all the more meaningful, and meant she ended a psychologically and emotionally challenging campaign on a winning note.
"It’s amazing. Honestly me and my sister were raised in this spirit that the Olympics are the most important tournament. That’s why it wasn’t the easiest tournament,” Swiatek said.
“I’m happy (my Dad) was here to see it. This is for sure a great place for me to be and play. I’m happy that besides Roland Garros titles, I could add another success to it."
Swiatek’s reference to Roland Garros is notable.
Her June victory there – her third consecutive French Open title, and fourth in five years – made her the heaviest of favourites entering the Olympic Tennis Event, staged at the same venue.
It was believed the conditions could not have aligned more perfectly for her; a rare staging of Olympic tennis on clay, her favourite surface, at a venue where she had not lost since 2021.
Throughout the week in Paris she often looked tense and tight, but did enough to reach the medal rounds.
Taking a 23-match clay-court winning streak into her semifinal against rising Chinese star Zheng Qinwen, she was facing an opponent against whom she held a 6-0 head-to-head record.
The only other players remaining in the draw at that stage, Schmiedlova and Donna Vekic, were both ranked outside the top 20.
But being such a prohibitive favourite for a prize she held in the highest regard proved overwhelming.
Swiatek managed just 12 winners while spraying 36 unforced errors against Zheng, letting slip a 4-0 second-set lead to lose in straight sets.
Devastated, she wept during a television interview, cutting it short, and did not speak to the written press.
She later revealed in an interview with Clay that she cried for six hours. “I’ve never felt like this before. Yesterday I experienced one of the hardest defeats of my career,” she said.
To go from that position, to re-setting for the bronze medal match, was a demonstration of the character and strength that has seen her dominate the sport since 2022.
“This (bronze medal win) makes it even better,” Swiatek said. “I’m proud of myself I could do it.”
What a way to regroup after possibly the most devasting loss of the season (or as Iga herself admits worst loss of her career). 2021 Tokyo Iga left after weeping into her towel on court in the 2nd round of the Olympics.
3 years later once again in tears she loses a heartbreaker trying to get to the final for the gold medal due to huge internal and external expectations.
But in the end leaves Paris as the first Polish Medalist in the sport of tennis. At just 23 years of age.
Amazing.
This might just be the proudest moment for me not only as a fan but as a Pole.
It takes an incredible strength of character to come back to the same court about 24 hours after you've just experienced the worst loss of your life, a court where up to that one moment you've had the most success on (and won your 5th Slam just 3 months prior).
And not only win, but win convincingly.
Iga has always had my admiration and respect but this win has raised it to a whole new level.
Well done Iga you keep your head high and raise that medal with pride. You've fulfilled your (and your Dad's) dream of an Olympic medalist and had to work really hard for it.
It may not be the exact colour you wanted but in time I think you'll really appreciate and be proud of your effort and what it means.
Because it was historic. You continue to break new ground for Polish tennis athletes and it fills me with joy every time I get to witness it.
Congrats!.
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