US Tennis Star Quits Olympic Quarterfinal, Blasts Opponent for ‘Fakeness’ After Tense Handshake
In the quarterfinals of the Paris Olympics, Iga Swiatek faced Danielle Collins, who ultimately retired from the match due to a stomach muscle injury attributed to cramping and dehydration. During the match, Swiatek was leading 6-2, 1-6, 4-1 when Collins took a medical timeout and later cited the extreme heat and inadequate access to cold water as factors in her condition. Following the match, Collins accused Swiatek of insincerity regarding her injury, expressing frustration over perceived fakeness in sportsmanship. Swiatek, a five-time Grand Slam champion and the top-seeded player at the Olympics, was momentarily injured when struck by a ball but was able to continue playing. In the semifinals, Swiatek will compete against Zheng Qinwen, while Collins criticized Olympic organizers for their failure to prioritize athletes’ health amidst challenging conditions.
Iga Swiatek dropped to her knees and clutched at her midsection after getting hit by a ball in the Paris Olympics quarterfinals Wednesday, but it was her opponent, Danielle Collins, who stopped playing in the third set because of an injured stomach muscle she said was caused by cramping and dehydration from a lack of cold water available during a previous match.
When they spoke afterward, Collins gave Swiatek an earful, telling her “she didn’t have to be insincere about my injury,” according to Collins.
“There’s a lot that happens on camera. And there are a lot of people with a ton of charisma … (who) are one way on camera and another way in the locker room,” said Collins, a 30-year-old American who has announced she will retire after this season. “I don’t need the fakeness.”
Swiatek, a five-time Grand Slam champion who is the top-seeded woman at the Summer Games, was leading 6-2, 1-6, 4-1 when Collins retired from the match after taking a medical timeout, then getting another visit from a trainer in the third set.
When a reporter wanted to know about their postmatch conversation, Swiatek replied: “I think it’s better to ask her.”
— Bastien Fachan (@BastienFachan) July 31, 2024
Collins, the runner-up at the 2022 Australian Open, said she went into convulsions after competing in heat that reached 97 degrees Fahrenheit on Tuesday. She blamed Olympic organizers for not having insulated water bottles, for the water not being cool enough and for not “prioritizing the health of the athletes.”
“Nearly collapsed when I came off court, and I was on a medical table for three hours” on Tuesday, Collins said. “It did a number on my body. When you have full body cramps from your toes to your neck and when you’ve suffered heatstroke, it’s very, very difficult to come out here.”
In the opening game of the final set, with Collins serving at deuce, she directed a backhand down the middle of the court. Swiatek was up at the net and was unable to get out of the way of the shot.
Swiatek looked stunned as she let go of her white racket and dropped down on the red clay at Court Suzanne Lenglen. Collins — who asked, “Iga, are you OK?” — walked around the net to check on Swiatek, and chair umpire Damien Dumusois climbed out of his perch to see how the world’s No. 1 player was, too.
“I could not breathe for a moment. It hurt for a bit,” Swiatek said. “But with the adrenaline that you have on court, you don’t feel as much as you should.”
Swiatek eventually rose and nodded to indicate she could continue.
Danielle Collins nearly killed Iga Swiatek 🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯pic.twitter.com/XQLuO5GfSu
— Raghav (@raghavv_01) July 31, 2024
She is seeking her first Olympic medal at a place she knows so well. The 23-year-old from Poland has won four of the past five championships at the French Open, the Grand Slam tournament held each year at Roland Garros, the same site being used for tennis at these Games.
In the semifinals Thursday, Swiatek will face sixth-seeded Zheng Qinwen of China. Zheng, who reached the final at the Australian Open in January, eliminated Angelique Kerber of Germany 6-7 (4), 6-4, 7-6 (6) on Wednesday.
Kerber is a three-time major champion and former No. 1-ranked player who has said she will retire after these Olympics.
The other women’s singles semifinal will be Anna Karolina Schmiedlova of Slovakia against Donna Vekic of Croatia, who beat Coco Gauff in the third round. Vekic, a semifinalist at Wimbledon less than three weeks ago, erased a match point and required five of her own to eventually get past Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine 6-4, 2-6, 7-6 (8), finishing after midnight.
Gauff is out of the Olympics now after losses Wednesday in women’s doubles with Jessica Pegula and in mixed doubles with Taylor Fritz.
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