The Olympic Games will get underway in Paris on Friday, July 26. The tennis event will begin on Saturday, July 27. It will be held on the red clay of Roland Garros, culminating on August 4.
38-year-old Rafael Nadal and 37-year-old Novak Djokovic will take part in what will surely be their last Olympics as a player. Nadal has won 14 French Open titles at the same venue but might find it difficult to repeat the heroics this year.
On that note, let us take a look at three favorites to win the gold medal in men’s singles in tennis at the Paris Olympics 2024:
#3. Alexander Zverev:
Zverev won the gold medal in men’s singles at the last Olympic Games in Tokyo in 2021. The 27-year-old German has been in good form this year, winning the Italian Open title and finishing runner-up at the French Open and European Open in Hamburg.
All the above tournaments were played on clay and hence, Zverev will fancy his chances of making a deep run into the Olympics as well. His powerful serve and backhand make him a dangerous proposition on any surface. Moreover, the high bounce on clay helps the big man to hit his groundstrokes from a convenient height.
#2. Novak Djokovic:
As mentioned earlier, Djokovic is yet to win the gold medal at the Olympics. Time is running out for him to fill in that solitary hole in his CV. Paris will quite possibly be the last opportunity for him to achieve that feat.
The Serb has not had a good season so far by his lofty standards. He has not yet been able to win a title in 2024 and will seek to reverse the tide at the Paris Olympics. He recently finished runner-up at Wimbledon and had to withdraw from the French Open after having reached the quarterfinal. Djokovic’s recent performances indicate that the 37-year-old is still good enough to make deep runs in big tournaments.
Alcaraz is hot property these days, having won the Channel Slam by triumphing at both the French Open and Wimbledon this year. He already has four Grand Slam titles at the young age of 21.
The Spaniard can hit groundstrokes powerfully off either wing and has a great touch, too, which is demonstrated in his drop shots and volleys. He has a pretty complete game and will almost surely reach at leastthe semifinal at the Paris Olympics at least. He is almost certain to get a medal and there is a high chance that it turns out to be gold.