Zheng Qinwen has made history as the first Chinese tennis player to earn an Olympic medal in singles, stunning Iga Swiatek, the world No. 1, with a score of 6-2, 7-5 on Thursday, advancing to the women’s gold medal match.
This remarkable win came against a player heavily expected to capture her first Olympic gold, following her dominance at Roland Garros. Swiatek arrived at Court Philippe-Chatrier with an impressive 25-match winning streak at the French Open, boasting three consecutive titles and four overall.
“This means everything to me because I finally broke through the mental barrier I’ve had. I proved I could beat the world No. 1 on her best surface, at Roland Garros,” Zheng expressed. “It really means everything. I always believed I could do this, but there’s a big difference between knowing you can and actually doing it.”
Zheng, seeded sixth and a finalist at the Australian Open this year, is a talented player who thrives on big occasions. Although the 21-year-old didn’t showcase her best tennis earlier in the tournament, her determination and mental resilience propelled her to the semi-finals, having won consecutive three-hour, three-set matches against the US’s Emma Navarro and Germany’s Angelique Kerber, marking the end of the latter’s career.
The following day, as she entered Court Philippe-Chatrier, Zheng was keenly aware that the pressure was on Swiatek. She played freely from the start, dominating the baseline and overwhelming her opponent with powerful forehands while varying her shots with drop shots, leaving the Polish player struggling to find her rhythm.
Swiatek faced difficulties establishing any consistent play, with a flurry of unforced errors. Even after seizing a 4-0 lead in the second set, the 23-year-old couldn’t dispense with her jitters. Zheng pulled ahead, delivering important serves when needed and maintaining her composure to win seven of the final eight games.
Iga Swiatek (right) congratulates Zheng Qinwen on her semi-final victory. Photograph: Andrzej Iwańczuk/NurPhoto/Shutterstock
Despite entering the match with a 0-6 head-to-head record against Swiatek, Zheng had previously exhibited flashes of her talent, notably in their encounter at the 2022 French Open, where she took the top seed to three sets. It always seemed inevitable that Zheng would achieve such a monumental victory on a grand stage.
“I know the fight is not over,” Zheng stated. “This is not the end. The tennis tournament is quite lengthy. I’m thrilled, yet I am eager for more. I’ve already made history, but I don’t want to stop here.”
For Swiatek, the immense pressure of seizing this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to claim Olympic gold on her preferred court proved overwhelming. After the match, she was visibly emotional, struggling to suppress her disappointment and momentarily pausing an interview to collect herself. She still has the chance to leave Paris with a medal in the bronze match.
In other news, Katie Boulter and Heather Watson’s strong campaign in the women’s doubles ended in the quarter-finals as they succumbed 6-3, 6-1 to the formidable Italian duo of Sara Errani and Jasmine Paolini, the third seeds and this year’s French Open finalists. Meanwhile, Carlos Alcaraz, the reigning champion of Roland Garros and Wimbledon, moved closer to a medal, defeating Tommy Paul of the US 6-3, 7-6 (7) in a high-quality quarter-final match.
