Carlos Alcaraz is experiencing his first-ever Olympic Games, but he won't have a chance to witness his first-ever opening ceremony.
Back in 2021, when he could have possibly played his first Olympic Games in Tokyo, the young Spaniard wasn't yet established enough on the ATP Tour to qualify for the Olympic Games.
Three years later, he not only qualified for the Olympics, but he's also the second seed in the Olympic tournament's draw and arguably also the biggest favorite to win the gold medal for his country, given he only recently triumphed at Roland Garros, the same venue that also hosts the Olympics.
In the first round of the singles competition, the 21-year-old drew alternate from Lebanon, Hady Habib, who is ranked 275th in the world, so it's not a huge surprise that the four-time major winner will be a huge favorite against his Lebanese opponent.
Alcaraz will compete also in the doubles tournament, teaming up with Spanish legend, Rafael Nadal. The two will play the sixth-seeded Argentinian team in the first round, taking on Maximo Gonzalez and Andres Molteni.
Like every athlete, the young Spanish superstar would love to join the opening ceremony, which starts at 19:30 CEST local time on Friday, July 26th, 2024, in Paris. However, he won't be able to do that, as he announced via social media.
The problem lies within his first-round matches in both singles and doubles draws. Alcaraz is one of the athletes who will start already on Saturday, July 27th, 2024, which is the first day of the Olympic tennis tournament.
On top of that, he will not play only one match, but two, as both his singles match and his doubles match were scheduled on Day 1 of action, making it almost impossible for him to attend the opening ceremony.
Alcaraz's first match will be played at the Court Suzanne-Lenglen as the second match of the day, after Italy's Jasmine Paolini plays against Ana Bogdan from Romania.
That match should start at 12:00 CEST local time, with the Spanish player likely taking to the court at around 14:00 CEST local time. His doubles match is then planned five hours after that at the Court Philippe-Chatrier.
In an update on social media, Alcaraz disclosed that he would love to join fellow athletes during the opening ceremony, but he was advised, likely by his team or more experienced Olympians, such as his doubles teammate Nadal, not to take part in the opening ceremony.
"I was very excited to be able to go to the Opening Ceremony of the Olympics today with Spain, but tomorrow I have two games and it is advisable to rest and be ready! This begins!"
It is a sensible decision for the reigning Wimbledon and Roland Garros champion, given that he will have to play not one but two matches on Saturday, and attending a ceremony that could drag into the late night could impact his performance, and after all, he came to Paris to fight for a medal.
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