Carlos Alcaraz reaches the gold medal match at the Paris Olympics | ATP Tour

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Alcaraz competes in the gold medal match at the Paris Olympics

The Spaniard is the youngest men’s singles finalist since tennis returned to the 1988 Seoul Olympics.

August 02, 2024

Carlos Alcaraz will leave the Paris Olympics with at least a silver medal after defeating Canada’s Felix Auger-Aliassime 6-1, 6-1 in the semifinals on Friday.

The 21-year-old Spaniard produced one of his best performances of the season on Court Philippe Chatrier – the same court where he won Roland Garros two months ago – to become the youngest player to reach the men’s singles gold medal match since tennis returned. the 1988 Seoul Olympics.

If Alcaraz wins gold, he will become just the second player alongside Rafael Nadal (2008) to win singles gold at Roland Garros, Wimbledon and the Olympics in the same season.

Alcaraz kept finding Auger-Aliassime’s feet on his way back and dragged the Canadian from corner to corner with his takedowns and explosives. The second seed did not face a break point en route to victory in 75 minutes and has now won his last 12 matches, winning on grass at Wimbledon last month.

In his Olympic debut, Alcaraz is the fourth Spanish man to reach the singles final since 1988, joining Jordi Arrese (1992), Sergi Bruguera (1996) and Nadal (2008). If Alcaraz beats Serbia’s Novak Djokovic or Italy’s Lorenzo Musetti in Sunday’s final, he will become only the second Spaniard to win the gold medal alongside Nadal. Nadal and Alcaraz partnered in doubles in Paris but lost to Americans Austin Krajicek and Rajeev Ram on Wednesday.

Auger-Aliassime had won his first three meetings with Alcaraz but has now lost his last four against the Spaniard, who leads the Lexus ATP Head2Head series 4-3.

Auger-Aliassime, who reached the Madrid final on clay in May, won a Top 10 against Casper Ruud and Daniil Medvedev en route to the semi-finals and will now challenge for the bronze medal.