Iga Swiatek found herself on the wrong side of the scorecard on Thursday. With her jaw set and her face flushed, the Polish star admitted she hadn’t been at her best. “I just messed up,” she confessed. But destiny offered her another shot at Olympic glory on Friday, and this time, Swiatek seized her moment. As she basked in the glow of her grand victory, Swiatek’s thoughts turned to the man who had been her rock through it all: her father.

Swiatek defeated Slovak tennis player Anna Karolína Schmiedlova in straight sets 6-2, 6-1 to clinch her first Olympic medal. This was also the first time when Poland received an Olympic medal in tennis. But despite the grand glory, Swiatek did not fail to acknowledge the support she has always received from her father. She turned extremely thankful to her father after the match, dedicating the medal to him in the post-match interview. 

Speaking in the interview, Swiatek revealed the importance of the medal for herself. “How much this bronze medal mean to me, it will be easier for me to answer in a few weeks, because the emotions from yesterday are still there.” The 5-time Grand Slam champion was heartbroken after losing to her Chinese counterpart in the semi-finals of the tournament. Besides, being one of the favorites for the gold and fresh off victory on the same clay courts during the French Open increased her expectations which she could not fulfill. However, as the 23-year-old won the bronze, she dedicated it to her father. 

“If I were to dedicate it to anyone, it would be my dad, without a doubt. Honestly, I could dedicate everything to him.” Swiatek has often revealed her dream for the Olympic games and the motivation she draws from her father. Her father, Tomasz Swiatek, is a Polish rower and a former Olympian who competed in the men’s quadruple sculls event at the 1988 Summer Olympics. In the event, Poland won the “B” final and finished at the seventh spot, overall. Swiatek, meanwhile, has often revealed the importance of the medal for her. 

In an interview with Euro Sports before the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, the World No. 1 revealed her motivation. “The Olympics have long been a very important tournament for me. Many tennis players do not intend to compete in them, but for me, it has always been the most important event. Also because of my father, who was an Olympian and competed in rowing in Seoul in 1988. Since childhood, I have heard many positive things about the Olympics from him.” But despite the incredible bond, Swiatek’s father avoids watching his daughter play live.

Why does Tomasz Swiatek not watch Iga play live?

Swiatek has often opened up about the close bond she shares with her father. But Tomasz does not show up for his daughter’s matches on the court and he himself revealed the reason behind the same. An Instagram post in March captioned, “How to raise the best tennis player in the world?” was made by TVP Sports featuring Swiatek Sr.

Being a former athlete himself, the Polish WTA star’s father understands the extreme pressure that the tennis matches revolve around and does not want to add to it with his presence. “I watch most of Iga’s matches at home. Sometimes I arrange to watch it with friends. Watching the match live is very demanding because every look or gesture is noticed by Iga.” This signifies that any unwarranted gesture would create more pressure on the tennis star on the court.

As the season progresses, it will be interesting to see if the Olympic medalist can continue her run and win yet more accolades to her illustrious crown. Can Swiatek play equally remarkably at the US Open as well? Only time will tell.