Iga Swiatek was widely predicted to secure the gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics, but she fell short, ultimately earning the bronze medal, which came as a surprise to her rival Aryna Sabalenka.
The Belarusian has faced off against Swiatek numerous times on the WTA Tour and is well aware of the Polish player’s formidable skills. They have even competed on clay, and Sabalenka managed to defeat Swiatek on that surface, a feat that is incredibly difficult to accomplish.
In fact, prior to her defeat against Qinwen Zheng at the Paris Olympics, Swiatek had emerged victorious in 31 out of her last 32 matches played on the red clay of Paris.
That’s why Zheng’s triumph over the World No. 1 was so astonishing, as she outperformed Swiatek with ease. Sabalenka was certainly taken aback by this outcome, as the Belarusian player, who chose to skip the Olympics, publicly expressed her belief that Swiatek would secure the gold medal.
Although she only ended up with the bronze medal, Sabalenka admitted to having mixed emotions about the result. She didn’t closely follow the match or the other matches since she was primarily focused on her own return from injury. However, she did catch glimpses of what transpired in the French capital.
She has openly stated that she doesn’t regularly watch women’s tennis or tennis in general, which is not uncommon for a tennis player.
“I’m so embarrassed to admit it, but I didn’t really keep up with it. I would just check the results at the end of the day and watch a little bit of each sport, but not really. Right now, I’m not in the best stage as I’m coming back after an injury and trying to concentrate on myself. Yeah, I’m following a little bit.”
One match that Sabalenka mentioned she might end up watching is the final match. She commended the efforts of both Qinwen Zheng and Donna Vekic, while also acknowledging that their meeting was unexpected because she had anticipated Swiatek to emerge victorious in the Olympic Games.
“I don’t want to say anything negative about the players. Honestly, I fully expected Iga to win the gold medal. It’s Paris. That’s her turf. That’s what I was expecting.”
“But the girls are playing exceptional tennis. I think this final is going to be really exciting to watch. Yeah, I’ll probably – no, I will – watch the final if I’m not playing my own match. I’m certain it’s going to be an intense battle.”
Overall, the Olympic tennis event has been rife with surprises, with top seeds Swiatek and Coco Gauff failing to live up to expectations. Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina were absent, providing other players with an opportunity.
Zheng and Vekic earned their place, as both have been performing at a high level, but it was certainly not the anticipated outcome.
Photo by Aryna Sabalenka Instagram
