Carlos Alcaraz admitted that even though the surface changes are difficult to deal with, he’s still going to play at the 2024 Paris Olympics next month.
Alcaraz just recently won the Roland Garros, which is part of why, in his mind, there is absolutely zero chance that he will not play at the upcoming Paris Olympics. The event is played on the same courts as Roland Garros, and with a best-of-three format, the Spaniard will certainly be among the favorites to win it.
Besides that obvious bonus, it’s also the Olympic Games and no athlete wants to miss the Olympics, especially not one who has never played at the event. There are things related to that that he doesn’t like, such as the frequent surface changes.
For that reason, some players like Aryna Sabalenka and Andrey Rublev opted out of the Olympics, but Alcaraz, while admitting that it is tough ahead of the 2024 Wimbledon Championships, isn’t even thinking about skipping the Games.
“It is not easy to change surface in a single week. I am 100% sure that I will play in the Olympic Games. For me it is an incredible event. It will be my first time, so I am looking forward to the experience.”
“I will go and give 100% for myself country. Then we also have very little time between when it ends and when Toronto begins.”
Besides everything Alcaraz mentioned, he will also play doubles with his idol, Rafael Nadal. That’s not something many can say, and together, representing Spain at the biggest sporting event in the world will be special for him.
Obviously, there will be some struggles, but as someone who grew up on clay, getting used to being back on the red dirt won’t be as tough as for some other players. It’s a big chance for him to write tennis history.