Iga Swiatek scripts history at Paris Olympics with bronze victory, becomes first Pole to win tennis medal in history

Iga Swiatek scripted history at the 2024 Paris Olympics on Friday, becoming the first athlete, male or female, from Poland to win an Olympic medal in tennis. The World No. 1 defeated Anna Karolina Schmiedlova in the bronze medal play-off to win her maiden medal at the Games.

Swiatek came into the clash with a semifinal defeat at the hands of Zheng Qinwen. Schmiedlova, on the other hand, had lost to Donna Vekic in the semifinals yesterday. On Friday, the Pole drew first blood, breaking serve to go 4-2 up after a close-fought opening set of four games. A second break of serve game the three-time French Open defending champion a 6-2 win on the set.

In the second set, Swiatek raced into the lead even earlier, going 3-1 up. From there, another break of serve was enough to give her the set 6-1, and with it the match, in a little over an hour of play.

The medal will come as a sigh of relief for the 23-year-old, who was heartbroken after missing out on the final to Zheng earlier. Speaking to press after the defeat, Swiatek broke down in tears, causing fans to be worried for her mental health.

Where will Iga Swiatek play next after end of Paris Olympics campaign?

Tennis - Olympic Games Paris 2024: Day 6 - Source: Getty

Following her bronze medal win at the 2024 Paris Olympics, Iga Swiatek is set to be in action at the Canadian Open next, starting next week. While the World No. 1 is still in the draw for the moment, it is highly likely that she will pull out of the tournament, considering the hectic schedule up ahead for her.

After the Canadian Open, action will start at the Cincinnati Open next, the second WTA 1000 event before the US Open. Swiatek will look to find her best form at Flushing Meadows, where she is a former champion. In 2022, she defeated Ons Jabeur to win the tournament, her only Slam outside the clay in Roland Garros for now.

After that, the tour will turn to the Asian swing, where the 23-year-old has a lot of ranking points to defend. Swiatek reached the quarterfinals of the Japan Open and won the China Open in 2023, taking that momentum to win the year-ending WTA Finals. By doing so, she also took back the World No. 1 spot from Aryna Sabalenka, and has retained it since then.