Paris Olympics 2024: 3 favorites to win the gold medal in women's singles in tennis ft. Iga Swiatek
Tennis at the Paris Olympics 2024 will commence from July 27 and conclude on August 4. Everyone who's participating in the games has already arrived in the city, and have reacquainted themselves with the clay courts at Roland Garros, the venue for tennis.
Belina Bencic, who claimed the gold medal in the previous edition of the Games, is on a maternity break. Monica Puig, who bagged the gold at the Rio Olympics in 2016, has retired, and so has Serena Williams, who won the top honors back in 2012.
A new gold medalist is guaranteed in the women's singles event. A few top players such as Aryna Sabalenka, Madison Keys and Ons Jabeur, among others, have opted to skip the Olympics. Nevertheless, the women's singles draw features nine of the current top 10 players.
With that in mind, here are the top three contenders to claim the gold medal in women's singles at the Paris Olympics:
#3 Barbora Krejcikova
Krejcikova overcame months of struggles with injuries and illnesses to capture her second Grand Slam singles title at Wimbledon. She beat fellow Major champion Jelena Ostapenko in the quarterfinals, title favorite Elena Rybakina in the semifinals, and Jasmine Paolini in the summit clash.
Krejcikova has done well on clay in the past as well, and claimed her maiden Major crown in singles at the French Open in 2021. Additionally, she has won a couple of doubles titles there as well. She won the gold medal in doubles at the Tokyo Olympics too.
The Czech knows what it takes to make it far at the Olympics as well as at Roland Garros. If she's able to capitalize on her recent resurgence, then she has a pretty good shot at the gold medal.
#2 Coco Gauff
The Paris Olympics will mark Gauff's debut at the quadrennial Games. Given her record at the French Open, she's one of the leading contenders to win the gold medal. With a 20-5 record at the venue, the clay courts of Roland Garros have proven to be a happy hunting ground for her.
Gauff reached the semifinals in singles this year, and captured the doubles title with Katerina Siniakova. She made the quarterfinals at the French Open in 2023 and 2021, along with a runner-up finish in 2022 in singles and doubles.
Gauff's last three losses in singles at the venue have all come at the hands of only one player, Iga Swiatek. The American has played second fiddle to her older rival when it comes to consistency in Paris, and if she's able to get the better of her, then the gold medal is likely to be hers.
However, Swiatek leads Gauff 11-1 in the head-to-head. It will be an uphill battle for the latter to come out on top, especially in Paris, where the Pole is usually at her dominant best.
#1 Iga Swiatek
Swiatek has been the most dominant player on the WTA tour for the last couple of years, especially on clay. She went on a tear this season on the red dirt, sweeping titles in Madrid and Rome before successfully defending her French Open title. It marked her fourth title in Paris, and her fifth Major title.
Swiatek has an impressive 35-2 record at the French Open, with a 95 percent win rate. Given her supremacy at the venue, she's the overwhelming favorite to claim the topmost honors at the Paris Olympics. She's currently on a 19-match winning streak on clay.
This will be the Pole's second appearance at the Olympic Games. She made her debut at the Tokyo Olympics, and lost in the second round to Paula Badsoa. The defeat weighed heavily on her, and the pressure of playing for her country is the only thing that could stop her from going all the way this time as well.
Swiatek has proven time and time again that it isn't easy to beat her at the French Open. She fended off a match point in the second round against Naomi Osaka en route to the title this year.
She only got better as the tournament progressed, dropping only 17 more games across her next five matches. With the Paris Olympics being held on her favorite surface, the Pole not winning the gold medal would be a huge missed opportunity for her.