PARIS — Emotional and unable to hold back tears, Carlos Alcaraz needed a moment to compose himself after losing to Novak Djokovic in the men’s tennis singles final. Paris Olympics on Sunday.
There would be no youngest ever champion and no repeating Rafael Nadal’s feat of winning a gold medal for Spain in his first singles attempt.
Alcaraz settled for silver after a 7-6 (3), 7-6 (2) loss to Djokovic on Court Philippe Chatrier and said the pressure of playing for his country got to him.
“I think I put more pressure on myself because I was playing for Spain, for the Spanish,” he said. “I felt I let the Spanish people down by not winning the gold.”
The 21-year-old Alcaraz said he had not felt that kind of pressure in the four Grand Slam finals he has played – and won – so far in his career.
“It was a different kind of pressure,” he said. “Everyone in Spain wanted me to win the gold, and I wanted to win the gold too.”
Alcaraz said the extra pressure cost him especially in the crucial moments of the match.
“In the difficult moments I usually raise my level, but I couldn’t do that today,” he said. “I probably felt the pressure in those situations. You play four Grand Slams every year, the Olympics are only once every four years.”
Alcaraz said there was still reason for him to be proud after “knowing I gave it my all.”
“Obviously this tournament has been very special for me,” he said. “I’ll take it for the rest of my life, for the rest of my career, for sure. Playing with Rafa, getting my first Olympic medal – hopefully not the last – it’s been a special one.”
Alcaraz arrived in Paris amid hype to play the doubles tournament alongside his childhood idol Nadal, who won singles gold in his Olympic debut in Beijing in 2008.
Alcaraz and Nadal lost 6-2, 6-4 to the fourth-seeded American duo of Austin Krajicek and Rajeev Ram in last week’s quarterfinals.
The match against Djokovic was a rematch of the last two Wimbledon finals, both won by Alcaraz, including last month.
“In the close moments, in the difficult situations, in the tiebreaks, he played an impressive match,” Alcaraz said of Djokovic. “He wanted the gold medal. He was going for it.”
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AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games