It looks like Carlos Alcaraz will face Novak Djokovic again in the Olympics, but before he can focus on winning a gold medal, he may need to overcome an injury.
Alcaraz advanced to the round of 16 of the Olympic Games by defeating Tallon Griekspoor, a formidable opponent, 6-1, 7-6(3). However, the talk following the match was on the injury break he sustained in the second set.
Late in the second set, the defending champion of the French Open and Wimbledon had to leave the court to receive treatment for his right leg. He subsequently came within one point of dropping that set.
However, he tried his best to downplay the seriousness of the injury when questioned by the media, saying, “The leg isn’t a problem, it’s a tennis player’s life, it’s just a niggle.”
Additionally, he stated that he hopes to play alongside Rafael Nadal in their upcoming doubles match on Tuesday. Alcaraz’s demanding schedule is expected to put any physical problems he may be dealing with to the test.
“I was thrilled to finish in two sets. He continued, “I played a lot better in the first set than I did in the second. “It was much closer when he raised his level.”
The focus will now go to Alcaraz and fellow countryman Rafael Nadal repeating their doubles “dream team” combo. Nadal seemed to recover from his singles loss to Novak Djokovic without suffering any further injuries.
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Unexpectedly, the event organizers have scheduled the next round of the “Nadalcaraz” spectacle on Court Suzanne Lenglen. In what promises to be a tough doubles encounter, Alcaraz will square off against Griekspoor once more, this time paired with his Dutch partner and double expert Wesley Koolhof.
Given that Nadal was assigned to the second court at Roland Garros, his 6-1, 6-4 loss against Djokovic on Court Phillippe Chatrier—where he owns an incredible 14 French Open titles—may have been his final match on the surface.
“I’ll be at ease if that’s the final game we play here. Regarding the possibility of playing his final match on Roland Garros’ main show court, Rafael Nadal remarked, “I tried my best and I can’t complain anymore.
“I’m doing my best to try.” I can’t go through every day worrying about whether or not this would be my last match.
“Over the past two years, I have sustained numerous injuries.” Therefore, I will quit and let you know if I feel that I am not physically ready to continue, or if I am not competitive enough to continue.
“I enjoy what I do, and I can’t really complain, even if I will miss the rush of playing.
“I’ve been competing for the most significant causes on these courts for the past 20 years. I accomplished far more than I had anticipated.
Over the next four days, Nadal will continue to try for a medal with Alcaraz to cap off his incredible career at Roland Garros. If he doesn’t feel any better after suffering a leg injury overnight, the most talked-about doubles pair in tennis will return to action on Tuesday.