Iga Swiatek’s quarterfinal match against Danielle Collins at the 2024 Paris Olympics ended dramatically, with the American retiring midway through the third set after delivering a lengthy lecture to the World No. 1 during their handshake. Earlier in the set, Collins had struck Swiatek with a powerful shot, causing her to fall to her knees in pain.
Swiatek, the defending French Open champion, started strong on Court Suzanne-Lenglen on Wednesday, winning the opening set 6-1. However, Collins responded powerfully in the second set, taking it 6-2 to force a decider.
With everything on the line in the final set, Swiatek surged ahead, breaking twice to lead 3-0. At 4-1, Collins, who had taken a medical time-out at the end of the second set, decided to retire due to injury.
After that, Collins approached Swiatek for a handshake, but the interaction turned lengthy as the American seemed to give the 23-year-old a long speech. When Collins left, the World No. 1 appeared visibly confused, adding to the strangeness of an already bizarre scene.
The head-to-head record between the two now stands at 7-1, with Swiatek winning their last six matches consecutively. Her only loss to Collins was in the semifinals of the 2022 Australian Open.