China’s Qinwen defeated Iga Swiatek in the semi-finals of the Olympic women’s singles. GETTY IMAGES

Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz remain on course for men's singles gold following their latest victories. Meanwhile, Iga Swiatek was unexpectedly defeated by Zheng Qinwen, shaking up the women's competition.

Djokovic advanced to the Paris Olympics semi-finals on Thursday, defeating Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-3, 7-6(3). Despite the victory, the 37-year-old Serbian remains uncertain about his fitness as he continues his quest for a coveted gold medal.

The top-seeded Djokovic faced a challenging second set, falling behind 2-5. He managed to save three set points and twice summoned the physio to tend to his right knee, the same knee he injured in June on Court Philippe-Chatrier. 

The Serbian star had previously withdrawn from Roland Garros following a gruelling five-set fourth-round victory over Francisco Cerundolo and subsequently underwent surgery on his right knee.

Djokovic booked his place in the semi-finals in the men's singles. GETTY IMAGES.
Djokovic booked his place in the semi-finals in the men's singles. GETTY IMAGES.

The 98-time tour-level titlist is concerned that he may have aggravated the same knee during the Olympic quarter-finals. "I dug deep and found a way," Djokovic told an ATP reporter.

"Really glad that I managed to win the match. I had a scare early in the second set with the knee, kind of a déjà vu from what happened a few months ago at Roland Garros, where I injured myself in a match, managed to finish the match victorious, but only to find out the next day that I tore my meniscus.

"So I'm hoping that's not the case this time. I don't know. I'm honestly concerned, but I'm going to let the medical team evaluate the knee and do an examination. Tomorrow night I think I'm playing a night match at seven, so I have some time to recover and get ready. Hopefully, I'll be able to be physically fit for the semis."

Alcaraz advances in Olympic quest

Alcaraz, meanwhile, delivered an impressive performance by coming back from a 2-5 deficit in the second set to defeat Tommy Paul with a final score of 6-3, 7-6(7).

This victory propels Alcaraz into the semifinals of the Olympic Games, where he will compete for a medal on Friday. The young Spaniard's tenacity and skill were on full display as he extended his current winning streak to 11 matches in singles. 

Additionally, Alcaraz boasts an 11-match winning streak at Roland Garros, highlighting his dominance on the clay courts. His resilience and consistent performance have made him a standout contender in this year's Olympic tennis tournament.

World No.1 Alcaraz booked his place in the semi-finals in the men's singles. GETTY IMAGES
World No.1 Alcaraz booked his place in the semi-finals in the men's singles. GETTY IMAGES

"It's all about the fight," Alcaraz stated after his match, which followed a tough day where he and Rafael Nadal experienced a heartbreaking doubles loss, likely Nadal's final appearance at Roland Garros.

"Maybe I was a bit fatigued from all the emotions of yesterday, playing with Rafa, but I gave it everything on the court," Alcaraz said.

"I needed to bring intensity because Tommy is such a formidable athlete. I felt a bit tired towards the end, but I reminded myself that I am playing for both my country and myself."



Men's singles results

In the other Men’s Singles quarter-finals, Alexander Zverev was defeated by Lorenzo Musetti, with Musetti winning both sets 7-5, 7-5 while Canada's Felix Auger-Aliassime knocked out Norway's Caspar Ruud, 6-4, 6-7, 6-3.

Men's doubles

In the Men’s Doubles semi-final on Court Simonne Mathieu, Austin Krajicek and Rajeev Ram from the United States defeated the Czech Republic’s Tomas Machac and Adam Pavlasek with a score of 6-2, 6-2.

Later in the day, Andy Murra's swansong came to an end when the American duo of Taylor Fritz Tommy Paul Murray and Daniel Evans in two sets The Americans won 6-2 6-4.

Swiatek suffers shock 

World No. 1 Swiatek was unexpectedly defeated by China’s Qinwen in the semi-finals of the Olympic women’s singles at Roland Garros on Thursday. Swiatek, who was the heavy favourite for gold after winning her third consecutive French Open title this year, lost 6-2, 7-5 to the sixth seed on Court Philippe Chatrier. 

Zheng's victory ended Swiatek’s 25-match winning streak at Roland Garros and made Zheng the first Chinese player to reach the singles final at the Olympics. The Chinese star will now compete for the gold medal against either Slovakia’s Anna Karolina Schmiedlova or Croatia’s Donna Vekic, while Swiatek will play for a bronze medal.

Iga Swiatek crashed out of Paris 2024 on Thursday. GETTY IMAGES
Iga Swiatek crashed out of Paris 2024 on Thursday. GETTY IMAGES

"I feel more than just happy, happy isn't enough to describe how I feel," said the 23-year-old and World No. 7, who had played back-to-back three-hour matches to make the semi-final. "If you ask me to play another three hours for my country, I would. It was an amazing match. To beat Iga is not easy as it's an important event for her."

Despite the absence of many top players and several seeds already eliminated, Swiatek was expected to claim the Olympic gold, having previously held a 6-0 career record against Zheng. However, Swiatek was far from her best, committing 36 errors during the match.



Women's singles

In the other semi-final clash Croatia's Donna Vekic beat Slovakia's Anna Karolina Schmiedlova 6-4, 6-0.

Women's doubles results

In the Women's Doubles quarter-finals, Karolina Muchova and Linda Noskova from the Czech Republic secured a dramatic win over Taiwan's Su-Wei Hsieh and Chia-Yi Tsao, with a final score of 1-6, 6-4, 14-12 on Court Suzanne-Lenglen.

On Court Simonne Mathieu, Italy's Sara Errani and Jasmine Paolini defeated Great Britain's Katie Boulter and Heather Watson with scores of 6-3, 6-1. Meanwhile, on Court 7, Spain's Cristina Bucsa and Sara Sorribes Tormo got past Ukraine's Lyudmyla Kichenok and Nadiia Kichenok.  After winning the first set 6-3, they were defeated 2-6 in the second, before winning 12-10 in the third.

Additionally, Russia's Mirra Andreeva and Diana Shnaider secured victory winning 6-1 and 7-5 against the Czech Republic's Barbora Krejcikova and Katerina Siniakova.