Paris, August 1, 2024 — Zheng Qinwen made history at the Paris Olympics by ending Iga Swiatek’s 25-match unbeaten streak, securing a spot in the singles final and becoming the first Chinese player to achieve this feat. Zheng’s victory over the world number one was a thrilling display of power and resilience, with a score of 6-2, 7-5.
Swiatek, who had dominated at Roland Garros since 2021, struggled against the 21-year-old Chinese star, who demonstrated exceptional skill and determination. Zheng’s powerful baseline game and strategic play saw her break Swiatek three times in the first set. Despite a strong comeback attempt from Swiatek, Zheng held firm, ultimately clinching the win with a decisive final game.
“I feel more than just happy — happy isn’t enough to describe how I feel,” Zheng said after the match. “If you ask me to play another three hours for my country, I would. It was an amazing match. To beat Iga is not easy.”
Zheng will face either Croatia’s Donna Vekic or Slovakia’s Anna Karolina Schmiedlova in the gold medal match. Her achievement surpasses Li Na’s fourth-place finish at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and stands as China’s best performance in Olympic tennis history.
In other notable results, Carlos Alcaraz moved closer to a potential showdown with Novak Djokovic by advancing to the semi-finals. The second-seeded Spaniard overcame 13th-ranked Tommy Paul 6-3, 7-6 (9/7) in a tense match. Alcaraz will now face either Casper Ruud or Felix Auger-Aliassime for a place in the final.
Defending champion Alexander Zverev’s quest for a repeat gold ended abruptly as he was defeated by Italy’s Lorenzo Musetti, who won 7-5, 7-5. Musetti’s impressive performance saw him become the first Italian man to reach the singles semi-finals since tennis returned to the Olympics in 1988.
Meanwhile, Novak Djokovic, still in pursuit of his first Olympic gold medal, will face Stefanos Tsitsipas in his semi-final clash. Djokovic has dominated their past encounters, including a dramatic comeback win in the 2021 French Open final.
In doubles action, Andy Murray, who has announced his retirement plans post-Olympics, and Dan Evans will face off against the U.S. duo of Taylor Fritz and Tommy Paul in what could be Murray’s final Olympic appearance.
As the tennis competition heats up, the Paris Olympics promises more thrilling moments and historic achievements in the coming days.
