Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz has moved into the last 16 of the Olympic singles tennis tournament after overcoming an injury scare. The world number three secured a straight-sets victory over the Netherlands’ Tallon Griekspoor, winning 6-1, 7-6 (7/3) on Monday. Alcaraz, who has already claimed four Grand Slam titles, continues his pursuit of adding an Olympic gold medal to his achievements.
During the match, Alcaraz experienced discomfort in his right leg, prompting him to leave the court for treatment late in the second set. Despite this, he managed to save a set point and maintain his performance. The 21-year-old Spaniard is set to face Roman Safiullin, a Russian competitor participating as a neutral athlete, in the next round.
Alcaraz’s participation in the doubles event alongside Rafael Nadal is also highly anticipated. Alcaraz expressed his commitment to being fully fit for the doubles after battling a groin niggle in recent tournaments. “It’s a pain I’ve been dealing with in the last few tournaments,” he acknowledged. “I know what I have to do, and I’m focusing on being 100 percent for the doubles.”
Earlier in the day, Nadal, who has previously won Olympic gold in singles at the 2008 Beijing Games, was defeated by Novak Djokovic in their 60th meeting. Djokovic’s exceptional performance ended Nadal’s hopes of winning a second singles gold. However, Alcaraz and Nadal still have the opportunity to claim a second doubles gold, following Nadal’s 2016 Rio Games victory with Marc Lopez.
Reflecting on Djokovic’s performance, Alcaraz noted, “When Djokovic is playing at this level, it’s really difficult to compete against him. He was aggressive, made no mistakes, and moved very well. Rafa didn’t play his best tennis, but Djokovic was outstanding.”
Griekspoor, who has now lost all three encounters with Alcaraz, felt the Spaniard was in top form despite his injury. “I didn’t notice any issues with him during the match. He was all over the place, even in the tiebreak,” Griekspoor remarked.
As Alcaraz prepares for his next singles match and the doubles event, his focus remains on overcoming the injury and continuing his strong performance in the Olympics.
