"I see Carlos Alcaraz enjoying himself & smiling, that helps a lot" - Iga Swiatek on drawing inspiration from Spaniard to win bronze at Paris Olympics

Iga Swiatek recently opened up about how she drew inspiration from Carlos Alcaraz to win the bronze medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics. She stated that watching the Spaniard enjoy himself thoroughly on the court, provided her the push to bounce back after her tough loss in the semifinals to the eventual gold medalist, Zheng Qinwen.

Swiatek was the top seed at the Games and she began her campaign by defeating Irina-Camelia Begu 6-2, 7-5 and Diane Parry 6-1, 6-1 in the first and second rounds, respectively.

The World No.1 triumphed over Wang Xinyu 6-3, 6-4 in the third round and then advanced to the semifinals her quarterfinal opponent, Danielle Collins, retired during their match, with the score reading 6-1, 2-6, 4-1 ret.

Iga Swiatek, who till then boasted of a 38-2 career win-loss record at the clay courts of Roland Garros where the Olympic tennis matches are being played, shockingly lost to Zheng Qinwen 6-2, 7-5 in the semifinals and also lost the chance to secure the gold medal for Poland.

However, Swiatek redeemed herself by cruising past Slovakia’s Anna Karolina Schmiedlova 6-2, 6-1 in less than an hour on Court Philippe Chatrier, to win the bronze medal for her country.

Speaking after her medal win, Iga Swiatek stated that she was able to secure the bronze after she dropped the expectation and pressure of so many people on her and by playing solely for herself.

The World No.1 credited Carlos Alcaraz's positive attitude on the court as a source of inspiration that allowed her to play freely and ultimately win the bronze.

“I realised that I had put on a very heavy backpack. The thought that I was playing for so many people added pressure that prevented me from playing my best tennis. I thought I had to play for myself and that’s how I faced the bronze match in a better way, I see Carlos enjoying himself and smiling on the court and that helps me a lot,” Swiatek said (via CLAY).

Iga Swiatek on winning bronze at Paris Olympics 2024: "Having a medal is a dream come true"

Iga Swiatek with her bronze medal at Olympic Games Paris 2024 [Image Source: Getty Images]

After winning the bronze medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics, Iga Swiatek stated that losing the semifinals and the chance to win the gold medal at the Games to Zheng Qinwen "broke" her heart.

"It’s sport, it’s tennis, [and] usually I am good to understand it’s just one part of my life. But this time it was like someone really broke my heart. It’s crazy," Swiatek said (via Olympics.com).

Swiatek acknowledged that the pressure she faced throughout the week of competition made her bronze medal victory "special".

"The tension and the stress that was with me for the whole week makes [the bronze] even more special. I have never felt anything like that, even in the Grand Slams, so it wasn’t easy... and having a medal is a dream come true," she added.

Following her campaign at the Paris Olympics, Iga Swiatek, who was scheduled to compete at the 2024 Canadian Open, has withdrawn from the WTA 1000 tournament.