Carlos Alcaraz, the rising star of tennis, was overcome with emotion after losing to Novak Djokovic in the men’s singles final at the Paris Olympics on August 4. The 21-year-old Spaniard had hoped to become the youngest-ever Olympic champion and emulate Rafael Nadal’s feat of winning a gold medal in his first singles attempt.
However, Alcaraz’s dream was shattered by Djokovic, who triumphed 7-6 (3), 7-6 (2) at Court Philippe Chatrier. The pressure of representing his country proved too much for Alcaraz, who admitted that he felt the weight of the Spanish people’s expectations.
“I think I put more pressure on myself because I was playing for Spain, for the Spaniards,” Alcaraz said. “I felt that I let the Spanish people down by not winning the gold.”
Alcaraz, who has won four Grand Slams in his career, said that the pressure he felt in the Olympics was different from anything he had experienced before.
“It was a different type of pressure,” he said. “Everyone in Spain wanted me to win the gold, and I wanted to win the gold as well.”
Alcaraz believes that the extra pressure cost him in the decisive moments of the match.
“In those difficult moments I usually raise my level, but I wasn’t able to do that today,” he said. “Probably I felt the pressure in those situations. You play four Grand Slams every year, the Olympics is only once every four years.”
Despite the disappointment, Alcaraz said he was proud of his performance and the experience of competing in the Olympics.
“Obviously this week, this tournament has been really special for me,” he said. “I’m going to take it for the rest of my life, for the rest of my career, for sure. Playing with Rafa, getting my first Olympics medal — hopefully not the last one — it’s been a special one.”
Alcaraz arrived in Paris amid much hype, having played the doubles tournament alongside his childhood idol Nadal, who won the singles gold in his Olympic debut in Beijing in 2008. However, Alcaraz and Nadal lost 6-2, 6-4 to the American duo of Austin Krajicek and Rajeev Ram in last week’s quarterfinals.
In the final against Djokovic, Alcaraz was unable to match the Serbian’s experience and composure in the big moments. Djokovic, who was playing in his fourth Olympic final, was relentless in his pursuit of the gold medal.
“In the close moments, in the difficult situations, in the tiebreakers, he played an impressive game,” Alcaraz said of Djokovic. “He was hungry for the gold medal. He was going to go for it.”
