Carlos Alcaraz admits he was scared of ‘letting down his country’ after heartbreaking Olympic Gold medal loss

Carlos Alcaraz lost to Novak Djokovic in the Olympic Singles Gold medal match after beating him in the Wimbledon final few weeks prior.

Carlos Alcaraz admits he was scared of ‘letting down his country’ after heartbreaking Olympic Gold medal loss

Former World No.1 Carlos Alcaraz shared a shocking perspective on his Olympic Singles Gold medal loss to Novak Djokovic. The Spaniard was defeated in two tiebreak sets by his older rival, as Djokovic achieved the Career Golden Slam.

It was a complete shift in emotions for Alcaraz, who had dominated Djokovic in the Wimbledon final just a few weeks earlier. However, things changed completely in Paris, and Alcaraz expressed some concerns after the heartbreaking loss.

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It was a difficult moment because in the end my goal since the beginning of the year was to win the gold medal. And that week I felt the need to do it. In the end, it can be a bad thought to have the need to do something. At that moment, I didn’t understand it. Obviously, after a defeat, 10 ⁄ 15  minutes after a goal that you didn’t know how to convert, it’s difficult to put everything into perspective. And at that moment, I thought that I had let down my country and the Spanish people by not getting that gold medal that everyone was waiting for. And that’s why I reacted by letting my feelings go. Speaking in front of the cameras, expressing myself at that moment and showing the country and the world what I felt, I think it was necessary.

Carlos Alcaraz said on a YouTube channel Molusco TV

What’s even more surprising is that Alcaraz’s defeat at the Paris Olympics significantly affected his form in the latter half of the season. He was on track to become World No.1 after winning Roland Garros and Wimbledon.

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After the Olympics, however, he won only one ATP title, which came at the China Open. He was also eliminated in the second round of the US Open and failed to progress past the group stage of the ATP Finals.

Carlos Alcaraz set to play an exhibition before Indian Wells

Carlos Alcaraz wanted a better outcome in Doha last week. He had high hopes, especially after Jannik Sinner was suspended and Novak Djokovic was knocked out early by Matteo Berrettini.

Carlos Alcaraz
Carlos Alcaraz (via X)

The former world No.1 beat Marin Cilic in the first round and Luca Nardi in the second. However, he struggled in the second set against Nardi. In the quarterfinals, Jiri Lehecka defeated Alcaraz by taking advantage of his mistakes.

Alcaraz had a chance to win after losing the first set. He was ahead in the third set but lost focus. Lehecka won four games in a row, leaving fans surprised. Alcaraz’s inconsistency is still a problem, even after hard work in the off-season.

According to ‘MARCA,’ Alcaraz will go to Puerto Rico with his coach, Juan Carlos Ferrero, on Thursday. Before the Indian Wells Masters 1000, he will play an exhibition match against Frances Tiafoe in San Juan on March 2. Alcaraz hopes to win his third straight title in California, where he won in 2023 and 2024.