He may have unfinished business at Roland Garros, but world number 2 Carlos Alcaraz says he would prefer a Paris Olympics 2024 gold over a French Open title. The 20-year-old is in Buenos Aires as the defending champion at Argentina Open, where he received a bye in the round of 32 and will playing the winner of the clash between Juan Pablo Varillas and Camilo Ugo Carabelli in the pre-quarterfinals. (More Tennis News)
Alcaraz had lost to Novak Djokovic in the French Open 2023 semi-finals and would be keen to go all the way this time around, but asked about his goals for this season, said it’s a dream for him to bring an Olympic gold to his country Spain.
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“I would say the Olympic title. For me it’s a dream to take the gold to my country, to Spain. And gold is one of the greatest things in sport in general. So I would prefer to win the Olympic gold this year. Although… I would win both, I’m not going to lie," Alcaraz said on Monday, February 12.
The Spaniard, tennis' next big thing, added that he doesn't have a particular urge to win one Grand Slam title over the other. “I don’t care if it’s Roland Garros, Australia or any other. It makes me very excited to win it, at Roland Garros I was already in the semis and I hope this year to improve that result. I do not feel that I should win it, that I have that thorn in my side. But it is a dream to win it.”
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Though he lost to Alexander Zverev in the Australian Open quarter-finals earlier this year, Alcaraz maintained that he was in good touch and raring to go. “My current level is very good, I’m playing with a lot of confidence, at a good level.
"I’ve just come from playing good tennis in Australia, my training days on clay have been very good, I’m physically at a very high level. I’ve always been very ambitious, I want to win everything, that’s what drives me to continue at the highest level.”
