Iga Swiatek's Mixed Emotions After Historic Olympic Bronze

Iga Swiatek earned Poland its first tennis medal with a bronze at the 2024 Olympics. Despite a decisive win against Anna Karolina Schmiedlova, Swiatek struggled with mixed emotions and disappointment from a previous loss that dashed her hopes for gold. A talk with her sports psychologist aided her rebound.

Iga Swiatek dabbed at her eyes with a white towel while sitting on her sideline chair at the 2024 Olympics after a swift, clean win on Friday earned a bronze for Poland's first tennis medal at any Summer Games.

Despite defeating Anna Karolina Schmiedlova of Slovakia 6-2, 6-1 in just 59 minutes, Swiatek's emotions were a mix of pride and disappointment. These were not just tears of joy but also remnants of the devastation from her loss the previous day, which cost her a chance at Olympic gold. The perfectionist No. 1-ranked Swiatek rarely loses, especially at Roland Garros, where she has claimed four French Open titles and where Olympic tennis was hosted this year.

"After the match, I was pretty confused because I still feel like I lost yesterday," Swiatek said. "On the other hand, I won today, so I should be proud of that. There are a lot of mixed emotions." Swiatek's defeat to Zheng Qinwen in the semifinals broke her 25-match unbeaten streak at Roland Garros. In a candid moment, Swiatek shared that she wept for six hours after her semifinal loss, calling it "one of the toughest losses in my career." She explained that the pressure to succeed for her country was overwhelming, even more so than at Grand Slams.

Encouragement from her sports psychologist, Dara Abramowicz, helped Swiatek regain her composure to secure the bronze. While not the gold she hoped for, Swiatek looks forward to enjoying the Olympic experience and cherishing her bronze medal.

(With inputs from agencies.)