Carlos Alcaraz continued his impressive run at the Olympic Games, securing his spot in the semifinals with a commanding victory over Roman Safiullin. Despite the challenging heat and humidity, Alcaraz dominated the match, winning 6-4, 6-2 in 90 minutes. His next opponent will be Tommy Paul, the American he defeated in the Wimbledon quarterfinals.
In women’s singles, the day saw the end of an era as Angelique Kerber announced her retirement from tennis following a hard-fought loss to Zheng Qinwen. The Chinese player, who unleashed a stunning 64 winners, secured a historic victory, becoming only the second Chinese player to reach the Olympic singles semifinals. This achievement follows Li Na’s success in 2008.
Kerber, a former world number one and silver medalist at the 2016 Rio Games, acknowledged the end of her career, stating, “What can I say? I gave everything. I have loved playing tennis. Now I can leave in peace.”
Another significant moment came in the form of Anna Karolina Schmiedlova’s triumph over Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova. This win marks a historic milestone as Schmiedlova became the first Slovakian player to reach the Olympics semifinals since Miloslav Mecir won the men’s singles title at Seoul in 1988.
Looking ahead, Iga Swiatek, the four-time French Open champion, has a chance to extend her winning streak at Roland Garros to 25 matches as she faces Danielle Collins in the women’s semifinals. In the remaining women’s quarterfinal, Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine will take on Donna Vekic of Croatia.
On the men’s side, Rafael Nadal, aiming for his third Olympic gold medal, is set to face a crucial doubles match with Alcaraz. The Spanish duo will face a challenging last-eight tie against the fourth seeds Austin Krajicek and Rajeev Ram of the United States.
