Carlos Alcaraz enters the 2024 Paris Olympics as one of the most in-form athletes. His recent successes have also made him a popular figure in the Olympic Village, with many athletes from around the world seizing the chance to take a photo with him.
The 20-year-old Spaniard arrives in the French capital riding a wave of impressive form over the past month and a half. His winning streak began in Paris back in June when he defeated Alexander Zverev to win his first Roland Garros title. In doing so, he became the youngest man in the Open Era to win a Major on all three surfaces.
Alcaraz maintained his outstanding performance at the All England Club, where he won for the second consecutive time. He defeated seven-time champion Novak Djokovic in straight sets to claim his fourth Grand Slam title.
Now enjoying the festivities at the Olympic Village, Alcaraz was photographed in high spirits with the Dutch women’s hockey team on Wednesday night. Earlier that day, he told the press that he wanted to live in the Olympic Village because of the “experience.”
U.S. retired tennis pro Mardy Fish reshared the photo of Alcaraz with a playful comment, suggesting he wasn’t being subtle about enjoying his time at the Olympic Village.
You ain’t sly Carlito! https://t.co/VFOMfFDGHh
— Mardy Fish (@MardyFish) July 24, 2024
18-time singles Grand Slam champion Chris Evert couldn’t resist responding to Fish’s cheeky comment, declaring him ‘fearless.’
Alcaraz is one of Spain’s four entrants in the men’s singles draw, making a total of five athletes. The others are Rafael Nadal, Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, Pablo Carreno Busta, and Marcel Granollers.
Alcaraz enters the summer games with a 33-6 match record this year and three titles. He aims to capture his second title on Court Philippe-Chatrier this year, having won the Roland Garros crown in June.
Second seed Carlos Alcaraz is set to face Lebanon’s Hady Habib in the opening round of the 2024 Paris Olympics. The relatively unknown Habib primarily competes on the Challenger and ITF circuits, currently ranked 275 in the men’s rankings with a modest 8-7 match record on the professional circuit.
A potential blockbuster second-round clash against either Cameron Norrie or Tallon Griekspoor awaits Alcaraz if they both win their openers. Alcaraz’s draw remains challenging, with possible matches against Alejandro Tabilo or Tomas Martin Etcheverry in the following round. Alex de Minaur could be his quarterfinal opponent, with Daniil Medvedev or Casper Ruud as possible semifinal opponents.
Alcaraz is also set to compete in doubles alongside the legendary Rafael Nadal, starting their campaign against sixth seeds Andres Molteni and Maximo Gonzalez of Argentina.