An emotional Iga Swiatek opted not to speak to the written media after her 25-match winning run at Roland Garros was brought to an abrupt end by Qinwen Zheng in the women's semi-finals of the Olympic Games.
Swiatek has dominated on the Parisian clay, winning four French Open titles in the last five years and three in a row, but the best she can now hope for is a bronze medal after falling to a 6-2 7-5 defeat.
The Pole led 4-0 in the second set on Thursday as she appeared to have turned the match around, but China's Zheng won four games in a row and eventually clinched victory against a frustrated Swiatek.
It is the world No.1 one's first loss at Roland Garros since she was beaten by Maria Sakkari in the quarter-finals of the French Open in 2021.
Swiatek did not shake the umpire's hand at the end of the match and broke down in tears during a TV interview before declining to speak to written journalists.
Her face flushed and eyes red, Swiatek did not break stride as she passed journalists waiting for interviews in the mixed zone, saying only: “Sorry. Next time.”
Australian Open finalist Zheng, meanwhile, becomes the first Chinese player to reach an Olympic tennis final.
She had lost all six previous matches against Swiatek, and the 21-year-old said: "This means everything to me because finally I broke the stage I always have in my head, I finally showed I could beat the world No.1 one on her best surface, at Roland Garros.
"It really does mean everything. I'm so happy that I can make this history for Chinese tennis.
"I always wanted to be one of the athletes who can get a medal for China, for our country, and right now I'm one of them. I've made history already but I don't want to stop here."
Zheng will face Donna Vekic in the final, after the Croatian was a 6-4 6-0 winner against Slovakian Anna Karolina Schmiedlova.
with AP
