Iga Swiatek Falls to Zheng in Olympics Semi-Finals

Iga Swiatek, the Polish top seed saw her impressive 25-match winning streak on Paris clay come to an end at the Olympics semi-finals where China’s Zheng Qinwen defeated her 6-2, 7-5. Swiatek, who had won the previous three French Opens at Roland Garros, struggled with the loss, marking her first defeat at the venue since 2021. As the favorite to claim Olympic gold and add to her five Grand Slam titles, Iga Swiatek was visibly upset. She chose not to speak to written media but did attempt to address broadcast journalists.

Meanwhile, Zheng ranked seventh and 21 years old, had previously lost in the Australian Open final but now has a chance to secure the biggest title of her career. She will face Croatian 13th seed Donna Vekic in the gold medal match after Vekic’s straight-sets victory over Slovakia’s Anna Karolina Schmiedlova. Consequently, Swiatek will compete with Schmiedlova for the bronze medal on Friday.

In the men’s singles, Spanish second seed Carlos Alcaraz continued his quest to become the youngest Olympic champion. The 21-year-old, who has already triumphed at the French Open and Wimbledon, advanced to the semi-finals with a 6-3, 7-6 (9-7) win over American ninth seed Tommy Paul. Alcaraz will now face 13th seed Felix Auger-Aliassime, who overcame Norwegian sixth seed Casper Ruud in a three-set battle.

On the other side of the draw, Serbian top seed Novak Djokovic, who has won almost every major title except the Olympic gold, defeated Greek eighth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-3, 7-6 (7-3). Djokovic will meet Italy’s Lorenzo Musetti, the 11th seed, in the semi-finals. Musetti secured his spot by eliminating German third seed Alexander Zverev, the defending Olympic champion with a 7-5, 7-5 victory.