Iga Swiatek was overcome with emotion after her surprising loss to China’s Chen Qingwen in the semifinals of the Paris Olympics on Thursday.
The 23-year-old Polish professional player, ranked number one in the world, appeared unable to stop crying during the post-match interview as he left the venue.
Swiatek had her head down for a while after losing in straight sets 6-2, 7-5 to Zheng, who is ranked seventh in the world.
The five-time Grand Slam champion bit her lip and wiped her hand near her eye.
Swiatek nodded several times and walked away, covering her face with her hands.
The loss came as a surprise to some, as Swiatek stormed back from a 4-0 lead in the second set on Court Philippe Chatry at Roland Garros.
2024 Paris Olympics
Swiatek has won the French Open at Roland Garros three times in a row, and this was her first loss at the venue since 2021.
It is also Zheng’s First win against Swiatek.
Swiatek entered the women’s tennis singles match with a 6-0 record against the 21-year-old Zheng in her previous matches.
One of them is his fourth-round win over Zheng at the 2022 French Open.
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Zheng will face the winner of Thursday’s semifinal between 13th seed Donna Vekic of Croatia and unseeded Anna Karolina Smidlovakia.
