"It was like, 'Glad I have a medal and I’m really pissed'" - Andy Roddick on Iga Swiatek's "confusing" reaction to bronze medal win at Paris Olympics

Andy Roddick has shared his perspective on the conflicting emotions Iga Swiatek likely experienced after winning her bronze medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Roddick also highlighted the significant pressure and high expectations placed on the Pole to win the gold medal at the event.

With the Paris Olympics being held at Roland Garros, where Swiatek recently clinched her fourth French Open title in five years, the Pole winning the gold medal was almost seen as a foregone conclusion. However, the World No. 1 faltered in the semifinals, suffering a devastating 6-2, 7-5 loss to eventual gold medalist Zheng Qinwen.

Despite being visibly heartbroken over her defeat, the 23-year-old bounced back strongly to claim a dominant 6-2, 6-1 win over Anna Karolina Schmiedlova and clinch the bronze medal for Poland.

On the latest episode of the 'Served with Andy Roddick' podcast, the American discussed Iga Swiatek's "confusing" reaction to her triumph, suggesting that she appeared delighted over securing a medal for her country while simultaneously being angry over losing out on the gold medal.

Roddick also asserted that, given the high expectations the Pole places on herself, especially on clay, anything short of the gold would leave her heartbroken.

"Swiatek’s reaction when she won the bronze was confusing. It was like, 'I have a medal. Glad I can have a medal for Poland and I’m really pissed. I expected to be playing for gold and anything less than that.' Her expectations are set so high that, she’s playing on clay and doesn’t win, it’s got to be like 'Heartbreak Hotel,'" he said (at 5:45).

Nevertheless, the former World No. 1 commended Swiatek for her ability to overcome what must've been a "horrible" loss to Zheng to clinch the bronze medal.

"She’s just created this massive shadow but props to her because I know that loss in the semis had to be just horrible. To come back and beat Schmiedlova in the bronze medal match, props to Swiatek," he added.

Iga Swiatek: "If I hadn’t won the bronze medal, I would have cried for a week"

Iga Swiatek with her Olympic bronze medal (Source: Getty)

Andy Roddick's description of Iga Swiatek's loss to Zheng Qinwen in the semifinals of the Paris Olympics as "horrible" rings true, as the Pole called it one of the hardest losses of her career.

"I’ve never felt like this before. Yesterday I experienced one of the hardest defeats of my career," Iga Swiatek told Clay.

The World No. 1 admitted that a defeat in the bronze medal match would've been emotionally devastating for her, especially after she spent hours crying over her semifinal loss.

"I cried for six hours yesterday, if I hadn’t won (the bronze) I would have cried for a week. Being number one makes me feel I can handle everything, but this tournament showed me that’s not the case. This motivates me to work harder," she added.

After some time to digest her Olympics campaign, Iga Swiatek penned a heartfelt message reflecting on the progress she made during her "special time" in Paris.