American tennis player Danielle Collins exited her women’s singles match against Poland’s Iga Swiatek, effectively ending her chances for a medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics on Wednesday afternoon.
However, the exchange between Collins and Swiatek after Collins opted to forfeit the match has raised some eyebrows.
After shaking hands, Collins appeared to have a brief conversation with Swiatek before leaving the court abruptly. Although the specifics of their interaction remain unclear, Swiatek’s shocked response as she raised her hands in disbelief while Collins walked away spoke volumes.
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Danielle Collins of Team United States competes against Camila Osorio of Team Colombia during the Women’s Singles third round at the Olympic Games Paris 2024 on July 30, 2024, in Paris, France. (Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
Reflecting on the match, which saw Swiatek leading 6-2, 1-6, 4-1 at the time of Collins’ retirement, the American expressed frustration during the third set over Swiatek’s actions, which she felt were delaying her serve.
“There’s like no one behind me,” Collins remarked after the chair umpire indicated Swiatek was signaling that she wasn’t ready to receive. “Play at the server’s pace.”
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Collins hesitated briefly before ultimately continuing her serve.
Eventually, she conveyed to the chair umpire that she could not proceed further and subsequently shook hands with Swiatek. Although she has rheumatoid arthritis, it remains uncertain if this impacted her decision to withdraw.
Iga Swiatek of Team Poland celebrates her victory against Irina-Camelia Bego of Team Romania during the Women’s Singles First Round on day one of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Roland Garros on July 27. (Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
During the opening game of the match, Collins sent a powerful backhand that struck Swiatek in the midsection, causing her to fall to the ground in pain. Collins then walked around the net to apologize, and Swiatek acknowledged it before the match resumed.
Swiatek will now advance to face Qinwen Zheng, who beat American Emma Navarro prior to defeating Germany’s Angelique Kerber in the quarterfinals, 6-7 (4), 6-4, 7-6 (6).
Danielle Collins of Team United States competes against Caroline Wozniacki of Team Denmark during the Women’s Singles second round match on day three of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Roland Garros on July 29, 2024, in Paris, France. (Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
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With Collins’ departure, no American tennis players remain in the women’s singles event. Coco Gauff unexpectedly lost in the third round to Croatia’s Donna Vekic, while Pegula was eliminated in the second round.
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