Carlos Alcaraz should not underestimate his next opponent

Carlos Alcaraz made his debut with a victory in singles and doubles at the Paris Olympics. The young Spaniard is enjoying his first Olympic experience to the full and has decided to stay in the village unlike other colleagues.

The four-time Grand Slam champion was not present at the opening ceremony on Friday because he had to play two matches on Saturday, but he is having a lot of fun and has taken pictures with several athletes. The former world number 1 is the top contender for the gold medal in Paris, especially after winning the French Open and Wimbledon Championships over the last month and a half.

Carlitos is doing great on the red clay of the French Open, but he will have to avoid those drops in concentration that he often had in the past. The Spaniard has repeatedly confessed that the Paris Olympics is one of his big goals this year and he does not want to fail, although he will have many more opportunities in the future.

Alcaraz is also showing great tennis in doubles with his illustrious compatriot Rafael Nadal, who is at his last Olympics and would like to achieve a great result. The two Spaniards defeated Gonzalez and Molteni in their debut, suffering in both sets but showing good cohesion.

Alcaraz will face Griekspoor

Carlos Alcaraz will face Tallon Griekspoor in the second round of the Paris Olympics. The Dutch player is not a red clay specialist, but he has dangerous characteristics being equipped with an excellent serve and very powerful shots from the baseline. Despite never achieving great results on this surface, Tallon almost beat Sascha Zverev at the 2024 French Open by giving up only in the fifth set.

Speaking with Eurosport, former ATP ace Alex Corretja warned Carlitos about his next match: “Griekspoor is such a dangerous player. He has a great backhand and forehand and is playing very loose. He will be dangerous and had a great match at Roland-Garros. Carlos is in such great shape but shouldn’t be overconfident and should take it game by game. I’m expecting Carlos to come through but he shouldn’t underestimate Griekspoor as he is a huge talent.”

Carlitos has already achieved extraordinary results despite his young age. The Spaniard has won 4 Grand Slam titles (including two Wimbledon), 5 Masters 1000 and was number 1 in the world for 36 weeks.

In a recent interview with Eurosport, ATP legend and top analyst Boris Becker praised Alcaraz: “Look, I think the sky is the limit for Alcaraz. The question is, how long can he stay hungry and how long can he stay injury free? He plays a very physical brand of tennis and he has been prone to injuries in the past, so I am keeping my fingers crossed that he can stay fit. Look, if he can keep it going at his current levels for 10 years, I wouldn’t be surprised if he doesn’t have double-digit Grand Slam titles. That means he will get to ten and then who knows how many. What we have to say is there is a long road ahead and there are a lot of things that can come around the corner.”

Carlitos is the big favorite

Alcaraz is the big favorite to win the gold medal in Paris because it is played on his favorite surface and is absent the number 1 of the world Jannik Sinner, who had to skip the event because of a tonsillitis. “It wasn’t Rafa himself that was imposing on me, but the situation,” Alcaraz said. “In the end, seeing the Philippe Chatrier stadium full, playing with Rafa, my first Olympics… It was a moment, I’ll say, that was difficult to deal with the nerves.

Honestly. I dreamed about playing my debut in the Olympic Games, but playing with Rafa, it was even more special. I’m really happy about the level we played, I’m really happy to give us the chance to keep going, to play another round. I think our level is good enough to believe and hopefully keep going” – he added.

After overcoming some physical problems, the level of Spanish has risen since spring. The former world number 1 won the Indian Wells Masters 1000 for the second consecutive time, before shining at the French Open and Wimbledon Championships. Carlos will try to grab the ATP number 1 from Sinner by the end of the season, though it’s not certain he’ll be in Montreal. If he gets to the bottom of the Paris Olympics, the Spaniard ace may decide to skip the first of two summer Masters 1000