Carlos Alcaraz is set to experience a “special moment” in his career as he aims to add Olympic gold to his collection of four Grand Slam titles at Roland Garros on Sunday.
The 21-year-old Alcaraz made history on Friday by becoming the youngest man to reach an Olympic final, delivering a commanding performance to defeat Canada’s Felix Auger-Aliassime 6-1, 6-1 in just 75 minutes.
Alcaraz will face Novak Djokovic in the gold medal match, provided the top-seeded Serbian player overcomes a knee injury and Italy’s Lorenzo Musetti in the second semifinal.
“The final is going to be a really special moment for me, in my life, in my career,” said Alcaraz. “I’m going to try and enjoy this moment. It’s going to be difficult, but also special. I will try to stay focused on my game and not be distracted by all the expectations and excitement from fans and others saying ‘I’m going to win.’ I just want to give my best performance and hopefully achieve my goal of winning gold.”
Alcaraz, competing on the same Roland Garros court where he claimed his first French Open title in June, showcased an impressive display of tennis.
He broke the 19th-ranked Auger-Aliassime’s serve three times in the first set and secured six consecutive games. In the second set, he broke serve again in the fourth and sixth games, extending his winning streak over the Canadian to four matches after losing the first three encounters.
“It was a very complete performance, and I played at a very high level from start to finish,” Alcaraz remarked. “I had very good feelings and sensations; I’m so happy.”
He continued, “The final is very important for me and for the Spanish people, but I am trying not to dwell on its significance and will focus solely on the match.”
Wimbledon champion Alcaraz becomes the fourth Spanish man to reach the Olympic men’s final, following in the footsteps of Jordi Arrese in Barcelona 1992, Sergi Bruguera in Atlanta 1996, and Rafael Nadal, who won gold in Beijing 2008.
Reported by AFP.
