Alcaraz's Brutal Olympics Loss 'Knocked Him' For Remainder Of Season Says Federer's Ex-Coach

Saturday, 23 November 2024 at 09:35

byErik Virostko

Carlos Alcaraz lost in the final of the 2024 Paris Olympics this year, and the effects of that were palpable also in the months after the loss.

The 2024 season presented the young Spaniard with his first chance to compete at the Olympic Games. Like every athlete, he also dreamed of competing at the Olympics when he was young, and he got to fulfill that dream in Paris this year.

With the Olympics being held in the French capital, he and everyone else got to compete at a well-known venue for them, the Roland Garros. It was at Roland Garros where Alcaraz triumphed only a few weeks prior to that, lifting his third Grand Slam trophy.

With the Olympics being held at the very same venue, the 21-year-old was naturally one of the top favorites to win the tournament, and after Jannik Sinner's withdrawal, he became the clear top favorite.

Still, there was one man that stopped him. Novak Djokovic proved to be too strong in the final, completing his own dream of winning a gold Olympic medal, something he stated was his goal for the 2024 season.

Alcaraz walked away with a silver medal, an achievement that many athletes would cherish for the rest of their lives. But for Alcaraz, it was a hugely disappointing result.

He came very close to winning the gold medal, and he knew he could have performed better in the final match. He broke into tears immediately after the final, and in the following weeks, the effects of this loss were discussed by multiple pundits.

Alcaraz lost in his first match at the Cincinnati Open and already in the second round of the 2024 US Open, which were shocking losses. Many attributed those to his loss at the Olympics.

Now, Roger Federer's ex-coach, Paul Annacone, spoke to Tennis Channel's Inside-In Podcast, explaining that with the loss, Alcaraz likely lost a bit of his joy.

"You have to find out what motivates you, and then you have to stick with that. And I think Carlos Alcaraz is a joyful player. I think part of this year he lost some of that joy, and I think, for a multitude of reasons."

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"I actually think one of his biggest accomplishments was one of his biggest hurdles to deal with this year, which is getting 'only' a silver medal. Which is a great accomplishment, but I think that kind of broke his heart a little bit at the Olympics, and I think that knocked him for a little bit of a tailspin through the rest of the summer."

Following the terrible swing in North America, Alcaraz was able to win the China Open title, beating Jannik Sinner in the final of the competition.

According to Annacone, that was a good recovery from the Spaniard, even though he couldn't follow up on that result for the remainder of the season.

"I thought he [Carlos Alcaraz] recovered when he won in Beijing, but he's had a couple of losses since then and got sick before the year-end championship."

"So, it's been a little choppy for him, but he has such a good head on his shoulders and a great team around him. There's no reason that that's not going to be just a blip."

Now, Alcaraz will focus on preparing for the 2025 season. During his training camp, he should also join forces with Jack Draper, as the two should have a period when they will train together.