Beyond The Score

Just a matter of weeks after Wimbledon glory, Carlos Alcaraz will return to Paris with a spring in his step. The Spaniard has entered both the singles and doubles draw and will have his sight on two gold medals no doubt. At his debut games will such glory be attainable?

An incredible season to this date

It’s easy to forget that Alcaraz was an overshadowed man back in January. Since last season’s US Open, Jannik Sinner had elevated his game to a new high which saw him reach world number one, become runner up at the ATP Finals, plus win the Vienna Open, Davis Cup and Australian Open. Defeating Novak Djokovic twice and rather handily in Melbourne, the Italian had established himself at the top of the ever-changing tree. Alcaraz was struggling physically and portrayed a shadow of himself against Alexander Zverev at the Aussie Open and pulled out of the Rio Open.

Several months later, the picture has completely changed. Success in Indian Wells plus a Miami Open semi final, the hard court season finished on a high. While the clay swing in the lead up to Roland Garros fell below expectations, by the time the main event rolled around he was ready. Defeating Tsitsipas in straight sets plus Sinner and Zverev over five, Alcaraz picked up his third slam, completing a major honor on every surface.

A similar story revealed itself in the grass-court swing. In a clash with Jack Draper at Queen’s, Alcaraz looked sluggish and slumped to a straight sets exit. Yet, when SW19 rolled he played himself into the tournament improving match on match. By the time he faced Djokovic in the final, he was imperious and took victory in straight sets.

We’ve seen a new side to Alcaraz this season. It’s very Djokovic-like. He has shown the ability to improve over the fortnight and peak when necessary at Grand Slams. The tournaments prior seem more like match practice and a chance for experimentation, an early exit or two in the build-up weeks is no cause for concern.

Adaptability

Moreover, the adaptability of the world #3 has been incredibly impressive. Of course, that’s rather stating the obvious for a man who already has four grand slams on all different surfaces, but to be able to win Roland Garros and Wimbledon back-to-back takes an elite level of skill that most don’t have. We only need to look at Iga Swiatek on the woman’s side to understand the magnitude of that task. Bjorn Borg, Rafa Nadal and Roger Federer are the only men to have managed it. Can he do one better and add an Olympic medal?

The grass court season of 2023 was when Alcaraz elevated his stock to an even higher level. He chose to play Queen’s in the build up to improve his comfort on the surface which was his least comfortable. By the time a month passed, he announced himself as the top grass court player in the world, winning both Queen’s and Wimbledon. The drastic improvement in his movement and grass court IQ over such a short period of time was a sight to behold.

Nadal storyline

Of course, this isn’t just any old Olympics for Carlos Alcaraz. He will partner Rafa Nadal in the doubles draw, in what is likely the 14-time Roland Garros champion’s last ever appearance on his sacred courts. It’s fitting in a way, a real changing of the guard moment. Since bursting onto the scene in 2021 Alcaraz, has been compared to his Spanish idol time and time again. An expectation that could crush some, Alcaraz isn’t the norm. If anything he has embraced such pressure and flourished under the watchful eyes of the Spanish fanatics. All eyes will be on the fitness of Nadal. He showed up well just recently in Bastad reaching the final, so the question is whether he can hold up for one final push.

The Olympics effect

The Olympics can be a strange one for tennis though. Normal patterns seem to go out of the window. Greats such as Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic have never won a singles gold medal despite periods of respective dominance. Best of three set matches until the final, crammed into a week, with no ranking points, it’s a different event. The added pressure of representing your nation can make some crumble while others excel.  Alcaraz will likely excel in this environment. Plus, the fact that it’s being held in Roland Garros must help due to the recent fond memories. In short, Alcaraz will go in as favourite, however, if there’s anything recent Olympics have taught, it’s to expect the unexpected.