Carlos Alcaraz after losing to Novak Djokovic at the Olympics: “My time will come” | ATP Tour

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Alcaraz is positive about the defeat: “My time will come”

The Spaniard won the silver medal after his Olympic debut in Paris

August 04, 2024

There was no golden ending for Carlos Alcaraz this Sunday at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Despite the sadness after his defeat to Novak Djokovic in the final played at the Court Philippe-Chatrier, the Olympic spirit is still very much alive inside the Spaniard.

“I always want to win, but I have to feel proud of this silver medal,” Alcaraz told NBC after the match. “I’m building a great career and I hope to continue doing so.”

“Honestly, I feel proud to be in this position. I am happy to give a medal to Spain. I am totally sure that my time will come, one day I will give the gold medal to Spain. I have to wait for that moment, I will work for it. Right now, I must enjoy this silver medal, it is also something fantastic.”

Alcaraz has reason to be confident going forward. Sunday’s defeat was an exception in a stellar season for the Spaniard. Carlos lifted his third and fourth Grand Slam titles at Roland Garros and Wimbledon respectively, also winning his fifth ATP Masters 1000 trophy at Indian Wells in March.

The No. 3 in the PIF ATP Rankings acknowledged how close he came to Djokovic in Sunday’s intense final. Alcaraz forced the Serb to turn away eight break points en route to victory, and he will leave Paris satisfied that he gave his all in pursuit of Olympic glory.

“It’s painful to lose this match like this. I had my chances but I didn’t take advantage of them,” Alcaraz said. “Novak is playing well, he has stuck to his position and in difficult moments he has raised his level. He has played incredibly. I am sad but, honestly, I can leave the court with my head held high. I gave everything I had fighting for Spain. It was special for me and I am proud of how I played.”

The next few months promise to be exciting for Alcaraz, who has a 38-7 record this season and is second in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin. The Murcia native is scheduled to compete at the Cincinnati Open later this month, where he will resume his duel with Jannik Sinner, the current leader of the Live Race. Alcaraz is looking to close the season as ATP Year-End No. 1 presented by PIF for the second time.