Paris Olympics 2024 Draw: Iga Swiatek’s projected path to the final ft. probable QF clash with Jelena Ostapenko and SF with Emma Navarro
World no. 1 Iga Swiatek will be the favorite to claim the gold medal in women’s singles in tennis at the Paris Olympics 2024. She will begin his quest for the same from July 27. This will be her second appearance at the Olympics, and she lost in the second round on her debut at the Tokyo Games.
Tennis at the Paris Olympics will be contested at Roland Garros, where Swiatek recently claimed her fourth title. She became only the third woman after Monica Seles and Justine Henin to do a three-peat at the claycourt Major.Additionally, Swiatek also won titles in Madrid and Rome before her triumph at the French Open. She became the second woman to accomplish this feat after Serena Williams, who did the same in 2013.
Given her form, she’s the obvious choice to claim the top honors at the Olympics. With that in mind, here’s a look at the players Iga Swiatek will have to deal with to reach the final here:
R1 opponent – Irina-Camelia Begu
Iga Swiatek will begin her quest for the gold medal against World No. 136 Begu. The latter has a 17-8 record for the season, while the former is currently on a 19-match winning streak on clay.
Swiatek also gave Begu a 6-1, 6-0 beatdown when they met at Wimbledon 2021. If she can brush her off so easily on grass, her least favored surface, then she will crush the Romanian on clay.
Possible R2 opponent – Diane Parry/Nadia Podoroska
Iga Swiatek and Nadia Podoroska at the 2020 French Open. (Photo: Getty)
Iga Swiatek and Nadia Podoroska at the 2020 French Open. (Photo: Getty)
Podoroska is a former French Open semifinalist, reaching the last four back in 2020. Her breakthrough run at the Major was ended by no one else but Swiatek, who claimed the first of her four titles at the venue that year.
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However, Podoroska hasn’t done much since then. Parry, the 21-year-old from France, could prove to be more of a threat. She’s known to cause an upset or two, and even stunned Barbora Krejcikova, the defending champion, in the first round of the French Open two years ago. Nevertheless, the Pole will be backed to make it through this clash.
Possible R3 opponent – Diana Shnaider/Linda Noskova
Swiatek could bump into Noskova, who ousted her in the third round of the Australian Open this year, at the same stage here. However, she hasn’t lost to the Czech since then, and has beaten her twice after her Melbourne defeat.
Noskova’s form has been quite shaky of late, so Shnaider is more likely to reach this round. The Russian won her third title of the season in Budapest, and her first on clay.Shnaider and Swiatek haven’t crossed paths yet, so this could prove to be a tricky encounter for the World No. 1. However, since they’re competing on clay, she will be expected to make it through in the end.
Possible QF opponent – Jelena Ostapenko/Danielle Collins
Swiatek could meet her nemesis Ostapenko in the quarterfinals, who leads their rivalry 4-0. The Latvian won the French Open back in 2017. However, she hasn’t tallied three wins in a row at the venue since then.
If Ostapenko suffers another early exit, then Collins could possibly await her in the last eight. The American is making the most out of her farewell season, and almost knocked out Swiatek from the Australian Open earlier this year, though the Pole staged an escape act in the end.Swiatek is unlikely to be under so much pressure from Collins on clay, and should be able to deal with her with ease. Caroline Wozniacki is also in this section, and could make it this far as well.
Possible SF opponent – Emma Navarro/Karolina Muchova
Iga Swiatek and Karolina Muchova at the 2023 French Open. (Photo: Getty)
Iga Swiatek and Karolina Muchova at the 2023 French Open. (Photo: Getty)
Navarro, who reached her maiden Grand Slam quarterfinal at Wimbledon, could make a splash at the Paris Olympics too. She also made the fourth round of the French Open, and could challenge Swiatek if they meet.
Muchova, who’s on the comeback trail after an injury, could also reach the semifinals. She gave Swiatek a tough fight in the final of last year’s French Open, and if her body holds up, she could make things difficult for the Pole once again.Naomi Osaka is also in this part of the draw. She held a match point against Swiatek in the second round of the French Open a few weeks ago. However, she is yet to make a deep run at Roland Garros. If she does make it this far, then she could make things interesting once again.
Possible Final opponent – Coco Gauff
Swiatek and Gauff have faced off at the French Open every year since 2022, with the former winning on all three occasions. She beat her younger rival in the final two years ago, the quarterfinals last year, and the semifinals this year.Swiatek also leads Gauff 11-1 in the overall head-to-head. Given the American’s record at the venue, she will be favored to make the final but getting the better of the Pole would remain an uphill task.If Gauff were to bow out before the final, then Barbora Krejcikova, Jasmine Paolini, and Jessica Pegula are some of the other possible candidates to make the summit clash.
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