After shedding tears of despair on Thursday (August 1), Iga Swiatek shed tears of joy the following day as she became the first Polish tennis player to win an Olympic medal.

Swiatek lost her chance at gold and silver in an emotional semifinal match against China's Qinwen Zheng. But the four-time Roland Garros champion made history on Friday, dominating Slovakia's Anna Karolina Schmiedlova and winning 6-2, 6-1.

Swiatek's father, Tomasz, was a professional rover who represented Poland in the 1988 Seoul Olympics, where they fell just short of a medal. The 23-year-old fulfilled his dreams and upheld her promise by taking home the bronze medal.

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Yet again, she was overcome with emotions and had tears, only this time they were tears of happiness as the win meant more to her than just making her country proud. It was a moment she could cherish as she successfully brought her father's dreams to fruition.

Iga Swiatek beats Anna Karolina Schmiedlova in straight sets to become first Polish tennis player to win an Olympic medal

Who is Tomasz Swiatek, Iga Swiatek's father?

Born in Warsaw on July 26, 1964, Tomasz Swiatek is a former professional rover who represented Poland at the 1988 Summer Olympics, which were held in Seoul. Before national representation, he competed in the university games while being associated with the Polish university sports club AZS Warsaw.

In 1987, he won a gold at the Universiade (currently called the FISU World University Games) in Zagreb. The following year, he was part of the men's quadruple sculls at the Olympic Games, where after the initial rounds, they finished in seventh place, topping the 'B' final. The top six teams after the first two rounds competed in the 'A' final for medal positions.

Tomasz was awarded the 'Officer's Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta' for his sporting achievements in a joint ceremony with his daughter Iga after she won her first Grand Slam at the 2020 French Open. She received a 'Gold Cross of Merit' at the event.