Iga Swiatek will at best win bronze in Paris 2024. This is a surprise given the Pole’s dominance at Roland-Garros.
by Jens Huiber
last edited: 02.08.2024, 07:58
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Iga Swiatek won no gold
Well, who would have thought that was possible when Iga Swiatek was leading 4-0 in the second set against Qinwen Zheng? That the dominator of Roland-Garros, who last lost in 2021 in a match at the Terre Battue in Paris, would not win this second set as well? And then of course the match too…
But from one second to the next, Swiatek lost the thread again, behaving like a deer in the headlights: almost a little panicked. This is how the world number one was seen most recently in her defeat to Yulia Putintseva at Wimbledon. Swiatek often gets to the balls too early, loses her sense of distance, and hits the ball with the frame.
Who has a plan B?
But with full power. Which may also be a problem. Eurosport expert Babsi Schett recently commented in Kitzbühel that she was missing a plan B for Swiatek. On the other hand: who has one in their repertoire? Especially in precarious situations, people usually fall back on tried and tested methods.
Iga Swiatek can still leave Paris with a medal, perhaps bronze will be enough for her. In the match for third place against Anna-Karolina Schmiedlova, she is definitely the favorite. But she was the favorite against Qinwen Zheng, too.
