“I thought I had disappointed my country”: Carlos Alcaraz reflects on his toughest loss in Paris 2024 Olympic final

Carlos Alcaraz recalled his Olympic final loss to Novak Djokovic as one of the most painful defeats of his career so far. The four-time Grand Slam champion arrived as the gold medal favourite but ultimately fell to the veteran Djokovic, who finally secured the last major title missing from his collection.

The World No. 3 will take part in the "Battle of Legends" exhibition match against Frances Tiafoe on Saturday night in Puerto Rico. The event, organised by former Olympic gold medallist Monica Puig, required an investment of over $3 million to bring Alcaraz just days before his Indian Wells campaign.

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"I couldn’t hold back my emotions"

Carlos Alcaraz’s first visit to Puerto Rico brought back memories of his most recent Olympic experience, where he had to settle for a silver medal. The event’s organiser, Monica Puig, made history at the 2016 Rio Olympics, winning gold after defeating Angelique Kerber in the final. At just 23 years old, Puig became the first-ever Olympic gold medallist in Puerto Rico’s history.

One of the exhibition’s main stars, Alcaraz, also knows what it’s like to compete for an Olympic medal, though he ended up with ‘only’ silver. Back in July, he arrived at Paris 2024 brimming with confidence after completing the Channel Slam—winning both the French Open and Wimbledon in the same season. The Olympics were held at Roland Garros, a venue that suited Alcaraz’s game perfectly.

Carlos Alcaraz at the 2024 Olympic Games.

On his way to the gold medal match, the Spaniard defeated opponents such as Tommy Paul and Felix Auger-Aliassime. In the final, he faced 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic, who had endured an inconsistent season but was chasing the Career Golden Slam—the last major accolade missing from his resume.

Despite being the favourite, Alcaraz fell short as Djokovic delivered his best performance, winning 7-6, 7-6 to secure Olympic gold and complete the Career Golden Slam. While it was a moment of triumph for Nole, Alcaraz experienced the other side of the coin—something he reflected on during his visit to Puerto Rico.

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"It was a tough moment because, from the start of the year, my goal was to win the gold medal. That week, I felt the need to do it. It's a mistake to feel obligated to achieve something. When I couldn’t…"

"At that moment, I thought I had let my country down for not winning the gold medal that everyone expected. That’s why I couldn’t hold back my emotions," added the World No. 3.

Over the past few years, Alcaraz has built a fierce rivalry with Jannik Sinner, as the two have shared the last five Grand Slam titles. Regarding comparisons between their rivalry and that of the Big Three, Alcaraz believes it’s unlikely they will ever reach the same level, even with potential new challengers emerging in the future.

"Reaching the level of rivalry that those three (Djokovic, Nadal, and Federer) had is practically impossible to replicate. I will have my own battles, but matches like theirs are very hard to see again."

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