Carlos Alcaraz was pipped at the line by Novak Djokovic in the Olympic final losing in two close tie-breaks.
It wasn’t to be today for Carlos Alcaraz as he played the tie-breaks slightly less brilliantly than his opponent.
Novak Djokovic had never reached an Olympic final before Sunday’s showdown, with a bronze in Rio and a handful of fourth-place finishes leaving him feeling downtrodden by the weight of the games.
Djokovic played his best match of the year just weeks after his second heaviest major final defeat in the Wimbledon final to the Spaniard.
A gutted Alcaraz fought back tears on Court Philippe-Chatrier before taking a minute to compose himself and reflecting on the momentous scale of his achievements this summer, admitting he was proud of his medal and was honoured to represent his country.
What did Rafael Nadal say to Carlos Alcaraz after his Olympic final defeat?
The pair enjoyed an energising week partnering each other in the men’s doubles this week, losing out to the eventual silver medallists, Rajeev Ram and Austin Krajicek.
With Nadal’s 31st career defeat to Djokovic coming in the second round of the Olympic singles this games, the two-time Olympic gold medallist offered up some supportive words to his distraught compatriot.
Posted on Nadal’s Instagram story on Sunday, he wrote: “Carlos, although I know that today is a difficult day, value a medal that is very important for the whole country; in time you will see that for you too. Thank you for this amazing week and for a medal that you give to Spanish sport”
Nadal and Alcaraz hold an exclusive record together as the only male players to win Roland Garros, Wimbledon, and an Olympic singles medal in the same year.
Carlos Alcaraz played his part oh-so-perfectly in this Olympic final
Mere weeks after a lopsided final, this Olympic final was the best match of the year, with the entire affair played in a wonderful spirit.
Both players frequently applauded the quality of the other’s shot-making, after break points were saved with ludicrous volleys and sliding passing shots.
The crowd was aptly split between Spanish and Serbian supporters with the cheers consistently raining down as tennis history unfolded.
Alcaraz started off the slightly more edgy facing a break point in his opening game, but after settling down, he pushed Djokovic all the way with his enviable blend of power and finesse.
The pair had a bucket-load of break point opportunities and had Alcaraz just taken two, we’d be telling an entirely different story.
Djokovic was shot-perfect all day and deserved to win, but boy did Alcaraz make him earn it.
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