Carlos Alcaraz will seek an Olympic medal for Spain in Paris
World no. 3 Carlos Alcaraz had little time to enjoy his fourth Major title. The young Spaniard defended the Wimbledon crown last Sunday, and four days later he is back on clay, making preparations for the Olympic Games in Paris. Carlos will seek his third notable title in a row, hoping to clinch the singles gold medal for his country. Unlike a year ago, Alcaraz enjoyed a reduced clay swing this spring, struggling with an arm injury and withdrawing from Monte Carlo and Barcelona. The defending champion competed at the Madrid Masters, beating three rivals before falling in the quarter-final to Andrey Rublev. Carlos missed Rome as well, remaining on the practice court and hoping for a better run in Paris.
Alcaraz found his A-game at Roland Garros, feeling no physical issues and ousting Sebastian Korda, Felix Auger-Aliassime and Stefanos Tsitsipas in straight sets for a place in the semi-final. Carlos faced the ultimate challenge in a battle for the final, with the newly-promoted world no. 1 Jannik Sinner standing on the other side of the net. Both players struggled physically, and the Italian built two advantages. However, Alcaraz recovered his initial shot, and had the upper hand in sets four and five, prevailing and moving into his first title match in Paris. The young gun faced another stern test en route to his first Roland Garros crown, with world no. 4 Alexander Zverev pushing him to the limits.
The German claimed five straight games in back-to-back sets, overcoming a deficit in the third and moving closer to his first Major title. Still, Carlos shifted into a higher gear, leaving his opponent miles behind in sets four and five and conquering Roland Garros for the first time. Alcaraz suffered an early Queen’s loss, dropping ATP points and wishing for a better run at Wimbledon. The defending champion had to dig deep against a couple of rivals, especially Frances Tiafoe in the third round. Carlos survived that one and defeated three opponents in four sets en route to his second All England Club final.
Seeking the title defense and his fourth Major trophy, Alcaraz produced his best tennis against the 24-time Major winner Novak Djokovic in a 6-2, 6-2, 7-6 victory after two hours and 27 minutes. Carlos controlled everything in the opening two sets, clinching them in an hour and 15 minutes following a clinical performance in his games and four breaks on his tally. Novak saved three match points in the tenth game of the third set and delivered his first break to extend the battle. However, Alcaraz clinched the tie break 7-4, sealing the deal in style and becoming the third-youngest four-time Major winner. Carlos is hungry for more in Paris at his first Olympic Games, returning to Roland Garros and wishing for another great run, this time in the national jersey.
