Alcaraz must focus on the singles, where he will face the American Paul
Carlos Alcaraz’s dream of winning a medal for Spain alongside his illustrious compatriot Rafael Nadal was broken yesterday against the Americans Ram and Krajicek on the iconic Philippe Chatrier. The two Spaniards tried to upset their opponents’ certainties, but the greater experience of the Americans in doubles made the difference and their victory was fully deserved.
It was a real shame for Rafa and Carlitos, who would have reached the semi-finals with a victory and could have dreamed of a medal. Although the result was not what we wanted, it was a magnificent experience for Alcaraz, who was able to share the field with his great idol at the last Olympics of his incredible career.
Carlitos will face Tommy Paul
The four-time Grand Slam champion will have to quickly clear his disappointment and be ready for his quarterfinal match against Tommy Paul. The American is certainly playing the best season of his career, has improved on all surfaces and has already shown that it can put the Spanish in trouble in matches at the best of three sets.
Alcaraz and Paul recently faced each other in the quarterfinals of the Wimbledon Championships, with the Spaniard prevailing in four sets after a problematic start. The former world number 1 will certainly be favorite, but he can’t afford to lose concentration against a very dangerous opponent.
The match between Carlos Alcaraz and Tommy Paul was scheduled for early afternoon on the iconic Philippe Chatrier. A questionable program that did not convince Carlitos: “You have to accept things as they come. I don’t know why they gave me that time, I don’t know if it’s because there’s someone who has to play two matches.”
The 21-year-old from Murcia is very sorry not to have won a medal with Rafa Nadal: “I am a little disappointed by the fact that we will not continue competing together, that this beautiful story has ended here,” he said. “It has been a wonderful experience with unforgettable moments. My childhood dream of playing with Rafa, of learning from him closely, has come true. We will try to focus on the positive things and the truth is that it has been a wonderful experience.
We talked a little about the match, about what we did wrong and what we should have done. In the end we are not used to playing doubles and we were very aware of our opponents. When you don’t focus on your game and you focus more on where they are going to position themselves or if they are moving, you doubt a lot more.”
Alcaraz must focus on the singles
Alcaraz feels very good on this surface and won the 2024 French Open less than two months ago. The young Spaniard dreams of achieving yet another feat, but he certainly has less margin in matches at the best of the three sets.
According to ATP legend Boris Becker, Novak Djokovic is the top favorite to win the gold medal in Paris: “Before the tournament started, I put Novak Djokovic as the favourite. He’s won every other title. That was a big win for him, so he must feel good about his chances. But then you still have Alcaraz. Novak is exceptional. He’s incredibly fit at 37, and he takes great care of himself. His diet and lifestyle are entirely focused on tennis, which is why he’s still in such good form. But he is 37, so we have to keep that in mind.”
Carlitos is the king of men’s tennis right now, even though Jannik Sinner is the world number one. The Italian had to skip the Paris Olympics because of a tonsillitis, but he will return to play in Montreal next week. Speaking with La Gazzetta dello Sport, tennis legend Stan Smith reflected on Alcaraz and Sinner: “In my opinion, both are very good players, however, Sinner needs to continue working on his serve, where he has already improved a lot. He also has a good opportunity to improve in the volleying area. As for Carlos, he is sometimes subject to moments that I would call distraction.
Carlos stands out for his speed, physical strength and variety of shots. Sinner also has a solid skill set, having already won a Grand Slam and is ranked No 1 in the world. They represent both the present and the future of tennis and will establish a lasting rivalry. I am interested in seeing how their game evolves over the years, knowing that they still have room to improve.” Alcaraz’s presence in Canada next week is linked to the result he will achieve at the Paris Olympics.
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