Carlos Alcaraz shares his ‘tricky’ preparations for singles and doubles at the Paris Olympics

Alcaraz will be back in action with Rafael Nadal for men's doubles on July 30.

Carlos Alcaraz shares his ‘tricky’ preparations for singles and doubles at the Paris Olympics

Carlos Alcaraz (Via Imago)

Second seed Carlos Alcaraz secured his spot in the third round of the Paris Olympics men’s singles draw on Monday, July 29. The current Roland Garros champion defeated the Netherlands’ Tallon Griekspoor 6-1, 7-6, continuing his bid for an Olympic singles medal.

This past week has presented a different kind of routine for Alcaraz. The right-hander is also competing in the men’s doubles with Rafael Nadal, which has increased the workload on his body. However, he seems to be enjoying the experience so far.

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I’m not used to playing doubles. I'm used to focusing just on singles, but it's a really special moment for me playing doubles as well. I love playing doubles. So the preparations could be tricky a little bit with the singles, with the practice, doubles. But I'm trying to play my best on both sides.
Carlos Alcaraz said after his match (H/T: ATP Tour)

Alcaraz has played more tennis than any other player in the past two months. The Spaniard won his first Roland Garros title by defeating Alexander Zverev in five sets in the final. He then defended his Wimbledon title against Novak Djokovic in a rematch of last year’s final.

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The Paris Olympics marks his fourth event in two months. Therefore, it will be interesting to see how he manages his workload in the upcoming matches.

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Carlos Alcaraz admits he was finding it tough to “manage the stress” while playing doubles with Rafael Nadal at Paris Olympics
Carlos Alcaraz, Rafael Nadal

Rafael Nadal’s defeat put Carlos Alcaraz under pressure at the Paris Olympics

Spain had a mixed day in tennis on Monday (July 29). During the day session, Rafael Nadal lost a highly-anticipated second-round match against Novak Djokovic 1-6, 4-6.

Carlos Alcaraz, Rafael Nadal
Carlos Alcaraz, Rafael Nadal (Image via Imago)

The match was the 60th chapter in their iconic rivalry, with the Serb extending his marginal lead to 31-29 overall. Carlos Alcaraz is now the only Spanish male player left in the men’s singles draw.

Considering that the World No. 3 is playing men’s doubles with Nadal and also representing Spain in the men’s singles field, this should create pressure on Alcaraz. The right-hander is playing in his first-ever Olympics, and having that much spotlight could be detrimental to his results.

Alcaraz has a habit of becoming injury-prone while playing with tension. The tennis fans saw last year’s Roland Garros when pressure got the better of him in his semifinal against Djokovic. The young Spaniard pulled his hamstring early in the third set of that match. However, so far so good for Alcaraz, at this year’s Paris Olympics as he is alive in both the men’s singles and doubles draw.

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