Iga Świątek clinched the bronze medal in women’s singles at the Paris Olympics. The World No. 1 showcased her dominance in a decisive 6-2, 6-1 victory over Slovakia’s Anna Karolina Schmiedlová in the third-place playoff match.
Świątek showcased her resilience after her semifinal loss to China’s Qinwen Zheng (2-6, 5-7). She rebounded with exceptional poise and precision, swiftly overcoming an initial challenge from Schmiedlová.
The match began with Schmiedlová taking a brief lead by breaking Świątek’s serve in the third game to go up 2-1. However, Świątek quickly responded with a break of her own and never looked back. Leveraging her powerful forehand, she took control of the set, winning five consecutive games to close it out at 6-2, ending with a forehand error from Schmiedlová.
The second set continued in a similarly one-sided manner. Świątek kept her composure and dominated with her serve. A critical break in the fourth game extended her lead to 3-1, and from there, she kept Schmiedlová at bay. Minimizing unforced errors and maintaining her focus, Świątek clinched the victory with another forehand error from Schmiedlová, taking the set 6-1.
Bronze for Iga! 🥉
— ITF (@ITFTennis) August 2, 2024
She becomes the first player from Poland to win a medal in tennis!#Paris2024 | #Olympics | #tennis pic.twitter.com/Wu0PWhgMnE
Iga Świątek – Anna Karolina Schmiedlová 2-0 (6-2, 6-1)