Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz wilts under pressure in Olympic final

Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz gestures at the net as he plays Serbia’s Novak Djokovic during the men’s singles tennis final at the Roland Garros stadium during the Paris Olympics 2024, Sunday, Aug. 4, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)

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 at the Paris Olympics 2024 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 attempt in singles.

Alcaraz settled for silver after a 7-6 (3), 7-6 (2) loss to Djokovic at Court Philippe Chatrier, saying the pressure of playing for his country got to him.

READ: Djokovic wins his first Olympic gold medal, beats Carlos Alcaraz

“I think I put more pressure on myself because I was playing for Spain, for the Spaniards,” he said. “I felt that I let the Spanish people down by not winning the gold.”

The 21-year-old Alcaraz said he had not felt that type of pressure in the four Grand Slam finals that he played — and won — so far in his career.

“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 said the extra pressure cost him especially in the decisive moments of the game.

“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.”

Alcaraz said there was still reason for him to be proud after “knowing that I gave everything.”

READ: Djokovic, Alcaraz to clash in Paris Olympics gold medal showdown

“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 the hype of playing the doubles tournament alongside his childhood idol Nadal, who won the 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 game against Djokovic was a rematch of the past two Wimbledon finals, both won by Alcaraz, including last month.

“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.”