Carlos Alcaraz makes heartbreaking admission about why he cried after the Olympic final loss to Novak Djokovic
Carlos Alcaraz made a painful revelation when explaining why he was in tears after losing the Olympic gold medal match to Novak Djokovic.
The 21-year-old went 0/8 on break points and eventually lost in two tough sets, 7-6(3) 7-6(2). He began crying immediately following the match and had to pause a TV interview to collect himself.
Following the defeat, Alcaraz expressed his emotional reaction and disappointment.
“I felt like I let all of the Spanish people down in some way,” the world number three revealed. “I know the majority of the Spanish people were waiting for my gold medal. And myself, I worked for it, I went for it, and it didn’t happen, which is why I got sad at the end because I couldn’t make all of Spain proud.”
However, less than two hours after his setback, Alcaraz was already feeling better. He continued, “But thinking about that time, it was pretty close at the end of the contest. I couldn’t think straight, so I became emotional in the end. But I’m thinking, “More relaxed.” I feel I made them proud and made them believe in a specific way. And I’m pleased of how I represented my flag.”
The gold medal match was Alcaraz’s first major final loss in his career. He has won four Grand Slam finals, including two versus Djokovic at Wimbledon. And he stated that he felt the pressure in Paris Games.
“It’s a little bit different,” he remarked of the Grand Slam matches against Sunday’s Olympics final. “I mean, I was playing for the gold medal, but I was also playing for Spain, which is not the same thing. I’ve played four Grand Slam finals, and when things got tough, I raised my game and played some really terrific tennis.
“And today, I probably felt more pressure. Perhaps some players are not playing in the same way or are feeling pressure to perform for their flag, their nation. Possibly, I felt the strain in those instances where I couldn’t play my best tennis, so I could tell the difference between playing Grand Slams and playing in Olympic Games finals.”
The world number three also stated that the lack of opportunities to win the Olympics added to the anxiety. He went on to say, “I play four Grand Slams a year, and the Olympic Games are held every four years, so you undoubtedly felt the pressure while playing. As I already stated, I could sense it.
After some time to ponder, Alcaraz will be pleased with his Olympic debut. But he is eager to learn from the finale. “I’m really proud and I’m leaving the court, I’m leaving the tournament with my head really, really high knowing that I gave everything on the court, I gave everything that I could on court today and I will [be] back stronger and I hope to learn from this situation,” according to him.
It is not the first time the world number three has suffered a heavy defeat to Djokovic on Court Philippe Chatrier. He feels he can win Wimbledon again after recovering from a difficult year last year.
Alcaraz went on to say, “I remember sitting in this seat last year, 2023, saying that I was going to learn from the moment I lost to Novak [in the French Open semi-final], and I did. Following that, I’ll say the same. I’m going to learn from this situation to be a better player; I’m not going to make the same mistakes I did today, and I’ve gained a lot of knowledge, so I believe I’ll be a better player and more mature off the court.”
