Carlos Alcaraz will be vying for victory at Roland Garros and the French Open this year, aiming to clinch both the Olympic tennis title and the prestigious Paris Games gold. The 20-year-old Spaniard expressed his preference for the Olympic gold but emphasized his focus on performing well in both competitions. These remarks were made as he prepared for the ATP 250 event in Buenos Aires, where he holds the defending champion title.
The tournament will be held in July, just a month after the year’s second Grand Slam on the same claycourts in the French capital. While Alcaraz hopes to add the French Open to his growing resume, he admits that winning an Olympic gold medal could be more critical.
It’s an argument that many professional athletes make, particularly those competing in both the Olympics and the Grand Slam. The Olympics have a special magic that the other majors do not have, and many players consider it to be the ultimate goal in their sport.
The Olympic tournament will be played at the Stade Roland Garros, the same venue as the French Open, and for Alcaraz, that would be an added incentive. “To win the Olympics is always a dream, and it’s even more special for me being here in 2024 as it’s my home country,” he told the official ATP Tour website.
Alcaraz will compete at his first Olympic Games, and he is looking forward to the experience. “It’s going to be an incredible experience, and it will give me a lot of confidence for the future,” he said.
In a high-profile matchup, Alcaraz will likely face the man he just replaced at the top of the rankings, Novak Djokovic. The pair were drawn in the same section of Thursday’s seedings and will have a good chance of meeting in the semifinals at Roland Garros. The last time the two met was at the Madrid Masters 13 months ago, a clash Alcaraz won in straight sets.
However, Alcaraz will have to fight hard to reach that final. He has been placed in a tough section of the draw, with Daniil Medvedev and Stefanos Tsitsipas potential opponents in his quarter-finals. The 20-year-old will begin his campaign against qualifier Hubert Hurkacz on Monday.
