Paris, France – In a stunning upset, four-time French Open champion and world No. 1 Iga Świątek was defeated in the semifinals of the Olympic women’s tennis singles tournament by China’s Zheng Qinwen.
Świątek, the top seed and overwhelming favorite to win gold, was knocked out in straight sets, 6-2, 7-5. This marks her first loss at Roland Garros since 2021.
Zheng, the No. 6 seed, will face either Donna Vekić of Croatia or Slovakia’s Anna Karolína Schmiedlová in the gold medal match. Świątek will face the loser of that match in the bronze medal match.
“I’m truly indescribable how thrilled I am right now,” Zheng told (link unavailable) “I defeated the world No. 1, the player who has been reigning champion at Roland Garros for years.”
Świątek had cruised through the tournament to this point, dropping one set in her previous four matches. However, Zheng proved to be a formidable opponent, using her determination and stamina to outlast the Polish star.
The loss marks a shocking turn of events for Świątek, who was expected to dominate the tournament. Instead, Zheng will move on to the gold medal match, looking to capitalize on her upset win.