Carlos Alcaraz arrived in Paris with high hopes of winning the gold medal, but when he failed to do so, the Spaniard was overcome by emotions, which isn't often the case.
Alcaraz is a very emotionally stable tennis player who rarely gets too high or too low during a match. We haven't seen him explode on the court like some other players, but he does have emotions.
He was spotted crying a few times on the court, especially after losses, which is normal because that's a human reaction. It's highly relatable to all of us, especially when it's a hugely important match or a tournament.
The recently concluded Olympic Games were important for the Spaniard, who was playing his first Olympics and was already favored to win the gold medal. He did well to make the final, but in the final, he faced the best player ever, Novak Djokovic, who proved his qualities once more.
As unexpected as it was, Djokovic produced a superb level to outperform Alcaraz and win the gold medal, which left the Spaniard devastated. Nothing showed that better than the live interview with Alex Corretja for Spanish Eurosport, during which Alcaraz had to step away for a moment because he was overcome with emotions.
It was just a human reaction by somebody who failed to realize his dream. Don't forget that Alcaraz promised the gold medal after the semi-final win in Paris, and not getting it done certainly hurt him quite a bit.
After calming down a bit, the Spaniard was able to explain why he cried during the broadcast, admitting that it was just his failure to win the gold medal.
"I wanted gold and losing is never pleasant, but I’m leaving with my head held high. I fought until the last ball. I gave it my all. When you lose like that, you leave the court proud. Djokovic wanted to win gold even more than I did and he deserved the victory."
"My tears were because I thought I couldn’t achieve the goal of all the Spaniards, including mine, of making them feel proud for gold. But seen from another perspective, winning an Olympic medal is never easy."
He wasn't the only one who cried that day; Djokovic also cried, but for him, they were happy tears. It was a huge match with lots of emotions on both sides because this event was specific.
The pinnacle of tennis is generally the Grand Slams, but there are four of them, and they are played every year. The Olympics are held only every four years, and that's what makes them so special.
Alcaraz is aware of the difficulty, and coming so close but not getting that simply hurts. That's why he was emotional, but he'll get more chances in the future. In fact, Djokovic told him he would win the gold medal during a brief chat on the net.
"He is enjoying his moment and I couldn’t exchange many words. At the net he told me that I will win gold one day and I’m going to work for it. My moment will come. He deserves to live this moment with his family. His tears indicate that he was really looking forward to it."