It’s been almost a month since Carlos Alcaraz lost the Olympic gold to Novak Djokovic.
Alcaraz was on fire before the Olympics, having won both the French Open and Wimbledon, including an easy win over Djokovic at Wimbledon. The Olympic tennis event took place at Roland-Garros, where Alcaraz had previously clinched his French Open title, making him a favorite among fans and analysts.
Heading into the final, Alcaraz handled expectations well and seemed in better form than Djokovic. Many thought Djokovic would struggle to win the elusive gold medal . However, in a tight match, Djokovic’s incredible serving led him to a 7-6, 7-6 victory. Despite having opportunities throughout the match, Alcaraz couldn’t capitalize during crucial moments.
| Name | Age | Points | Stats 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🇪🇸 Carlos Alcaraz | 21 | 68,791 | 25 - 5 |
Aftermath of the Loss:
Right after this tough loss, Alcaraz couldn’t hide his emotions and cried during an interview with Alex Corretja. His form has dipped since then; he lost at the Cincinnati Open in three sets against Gael Monfils and even smashed his racket out of frustration. Fans were shocked by this behavior.
An even bigger surprise came at the US Open when he lost in straight sets to Botic van de Zandschulp—one of his worst performances ever. Some wonder if that Olympic defeat is still haunting him because he hasn’t looked as energetic or focused since then.
Former champion Adriano Panatta believes that losing to Djokovic in Paris might be affecting Alcaraz for a long time. Panatta shared with Domenica Sportiva that such setbacks can have lasting impacts.
“I think Carlos will be stuck with the loss to Djokovic for a long time,” Panatta said. “In tennis you are only on the court; in football you can also not play if you are not well, or there are friends who pull you up.”
Panatta also noted how much effort it took for Djokovic to win that final: “This thing marked him as it marked Djokovic from a nervous point of view. He made a superhuman effort to win that final and will need time to recover.”
Fans might think this could be true because seeing their favorite player struggle is hard .
Whether Panatta’s prediction holds true will become clear as we see how Alcaraz performs for the rest of the season. If he finishes strong and becomes world No. 1 again, it could help him refocus.
What do you think? Will Alcaraz bounce back soon?
