Nadal and Alcaraz knocked out of men's doubles
Watch highlights as Spain’s Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz are knocked out of the men’s doubles after being beaten by the USA pair of Austin Krajicek and Rajeev Ram 6-2,6-4 at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Watch highlights as Spain’s Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz are knocked out of the men’s doubles after being beaten by the USA pair of Austin Krajicek and Rajeev Ram 6-2,6-4 at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Reigning French Open champions Carlos Alcaraz and Iga Swiatek, and the 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic, all advance in the Olympic tennis singles.
Americans Austin Krajicek and Rajeev Ram ended the Paris Olympics run of Spanish stars Carlos Alcaraz and Rafael Nadal with a 6-2, 6-4 victory Wednesday.
Seeded fourth, Krajicek and Ram controlled rallies with high-percentage shots while Alcaraz and Nadal made uncharacteristic errors in the early stages. The Americans remained the more consistent team as the match wore on, breaking Alcaraz’s serve to love at 3-3 in the second set.
[ATP APP]Krajicek served out the match at 5-4, beginning that game with a nervy double fault. With a packed crowd vocally supporting the fans’ favourites Alcaraz and Nadal, the American duo kept its cool, fending off three break points to avoid any late drama.
Krajicek aced Alcaraz on match point, painting the sideline with a hefty ad-side slice, which the chair umpire confirmed grazed the line. Alcaraz and Nadal shared a hug before all four players embraced each other at net. Krajicek and Ram will continue their quest for a medal with a semi-final meeting Czechs Tomas Machac and Adam Pavlasek.
Nadal was later asked in the mixed zone if Wednesday was his final match on Court Philippe-Chatrier, the court on which he has won 14 Roland Garros trophies.
“I’m happy with the love and support I receive here every time I step out on court,” the 92-time tour-level titlist said in Spanish. “I don’t know if this was the last time. Possibly, yes. One stage has ended for me. My objective was to focus on the Olympic Games and afterwards I’d have to decide, and that’s what I will do. Now I go home and rest and disconnect a bit. When I have [a clear mind], I will take the decision of what the next stage will be for me.”
<img src=”/-/media/images/news/2024/07/31/19/11/nadal-alcaraz-paris-2024-wednesday.jpg?w=100%25&hash=A027320BCCA2E970302E9ADD5A30838A” style=”width:100%;” alt=”Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz embrace after their quarter-final loss.” />
Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz embrace after their quarter-final loss. Credit: Julian Finney/Getty Images
The 21-year-old Alcaraz wrote in Spanish on X: “Thank you very much Rafa for this week and for sharing the court with me playing for Spain! It wasn’t possible today, but I’m taking a lot of things with me for the future! It has been very special! ❤️”
Alcaraz, making his Olympics debut this fortnight, advanced to the singles quarter-finals earlier in the day with a straight-sets win against Roman Safiullin. Nadal fell in the second round to longtime rival Novak Djokovic.
[NEWSLETTER FORM]Muchas gracias Rafa por esta semana y por haber compartido pista conmigo jugando por 🇪🇸! Hoy no ha podido ser, pero me llevo un montón de cosas para el futuro! Ha sido muy especial! ❤️ @RafaelNadal pic.twitter.com/qkF46dslVf
— Carlos Alcaraz (@carlosalcaraz) July 31, 2024
Britain’s Katie Boulter and Heather Watson beat Brazilian pair Beatriz Haddad Maia and Luisa Stefani in straight sets to advance to the Olympic women’s doubles quarter-finals
Carlos Alcaraz’s second consecutive Wimbledon title and Matteo Berrettini’s double title delight defined July’s action.
In a repeat of last year’s final, Alcaraz defeated Novak Djokovic in a hotly anticipated match, with the Spaniard winning in straight sets to successfully defend his Wimbledon crown. Meanwhile Berrettini, who has been beleaguered by injuries and struggled for form over the past 12 months, found his game on the clay by taking back-to-back titles in Gstaad and Kitzbühel.
It was also a notable month for debutant title winners, with both Marcos Giron and Nuno Borges picking up maiden ATP Tour titles in style.
Wimbledon, London – Carlos Alcaraz
Alcaraz mounted a successful defence of his Wimbledon crown, defeating Djokovic in a rematch of last year’s final. The Spaniard followed up his Roland Garros victory with a second Wimbledon title in as many years, overcoming Djokovic 6-2, 6-2, 7-6(4) in two hours 27 minutes. Djokovic threatened a late resurgence by saving three championship points at 5-4, 40/0 and breaking Alcaraz’s serve that game, but the 21-year-old held his nerve in the tie-break to taste victory once more at the All England Club. Alcaraz became just the sixth man in the Open Era to win Roland Garros and Wimbledon in the same year, joining an exclusive list comprising Rod Laver, Bjorn Borg, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Djokovic.
Hamburg Open, Hamburg – Arthur Fils
Twenty-year-old Frenchman Fils broke new ground by claiming a maiden ATP 500 title in Hamburg, overcoming home favourite Alexander Zverev 6-3, 3-6, 7-6(1) in a closely fought encounter. The #NextGenATP star cracked the Top 20 for the first time too, reaching a career-high of No. 20 in the PIF ATP Rankings.
Infosys Hall of Fame Open, Newport – Marcos Giron
Marcos Giron captured a maiden ATP Tour title on home soil, defeating #NextGenATP star Alex Michelsen, in an all-American final. The 30-year-old overcame a defiant Michelsen 6-7 (4), 6-3, 7-5 on the grass to pick up his first title. On winning the trophy, Giron said, “It’s really special. For me this has been years of hard work, years of dedication and years of support from family, friends and coaches. And so I couldn’t have done this without them.”
EFG Swiss Open Gstaad, Gstaad – Matteo Berrettini
Italian Matteo Berrettini recorded his ninth overall ATP Tour title as he cruised to a comprehensive win over Frenchman Quentin Halys, 6-3, 6-1, in Gstaad. The sixth seed dispatched both Felix Auger-Aliassime and Stefanos Tsitsipas en route to the title, in a tournament where he failed to drop a set. “It feels unbelievable. It feels like it was yesterday that I won my first title here six years ago” said Berrettini, “I’m just so glad that I can keep playing and enjoying, and I think I found the energy of six years ago during this week.”
Nordea Open, Bastad – Nuno Borges
Another debutant ATP Tour title winner, Nuno Borges overcame Rafael Nadal on the clay in Bastad to win 6-3, 6-2. Borges dropped just one set all tournament as the Portuguese seventh seed carved a path to his first title. “I don’t know what to say. I think I was wishing for this moment for a while already,” reflected Borges in his post-match interview. “It’s crazy, in tennis it happens when you don’t expect it sometimes.”
Plava Laguna Croatia Open Umag, Umag – Francisco Cerundolo
Fourth seed Francisco Cerundolo sealed a third ATP Tour title in Umag, where he narrowly defeated Lorenzo Musetti 2-6, 6-4, 7-6(5). The Argentine showed spirit and resilience as he crucially broke Musetti at 4-5 down in the third set before rallying back from 1/3 down in the tie-break to secure victory. “I don’t know how I came back. I fought until the last point and luckily I won the match. I’m super proud because it was a really tough battle,” Cerundolo commented in his post-match interview.
Generali Open, Kitzbühel – Matteo Berrettini
Matteo Berrettini extended his winning streak to ten matches as he secured back-to-back titles with a 7-5, 6-3 win over Hugo Gaston in the final of the Generali Open. Berrettini maintained his momentum over recent weeks to overpower Gaston in one hour, 21 minutes and capture his tenth overall ATP title. The Italian’s big serve was on display as he won 80 per cent of his first serve points and hit eight aces en route to victory. The Italian’s third title of the season propelled him up to No. 40 in the PIF ATP Rankings, a far cry from when he was languishing outside the Top 150 as recently as March.
Atlanta Open, Atlanta – Yoshihito Nishioka
Yoshihito Nishioka claimed a third ATP Tour title with victory in Atlanta over Jordan Thompson, 4-6, 7-6 (2), 6-2. In a final afflicted with rain delays totalling over five hours of suspended action, the Japanese player kept his focus to battle past fourth seed Thompson, extending his untarnished Lexus ATP Head2Head record against the Aussie to 5-0. Nishioka’s strong form throughout the week, including defeating home favourite Frances Tiafoe, resulted in him saving 10 out of the 11 break points that he faced, according to Infosys ATP Stats, a crucial figure that made the difference in Nishioka’s victory.
Jannik Sinner has arrived in Montreal where he will compete in the National Bank Open Presented by Rogers, running from 6 August – 12 August. The Italian will seek to mount a successful title defence of his victory in Canada last year, where he defeated Alex de Minaur 6-4, 6-1 to claim his maiden ATP Masters 1000 title.
At No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings, the Italian has posted a standout 22-1 record on hard courts this season, with the record blighted by just a sole loss to Carlos Alcaraz in a three-set match in the semi-finals in Indian Wells. Sinner is vying for a third career Masters title and a second this year following his title win in Miami. Sinner withdrew from the Paris Olympics after being diagnosed with tonsilitis, but has now recovered.
“Good to start hitting again and looking forward to building from here,” Sinner wrote on social media on Tuesday.
Good to start hitting again and looking forward to building from here 👊🏼 pic.twitter.com/Awmgn6HiqD
— Jannik Sinner (@janniksin) July 31, 2024
The extra time off has allowed Sinner to travel to Canada earlier than anticipated and begin preparations to bolster his chances of a successful title defence. The 22-year-old will hit on Wednesday afternoon, with the draw set to occur on Saturday, 3 August. Carlos Alcaraz, Alexander Zverev and Daniil Medvedev are all set to feature alongside Sinner in Canada.
[NEWSLETTER FORM]Carlos Alcaraz produced another dominant display at the Paris Olympics on Wednesday when he dispatched Roman Safiullin 6-4, 6-2 to set a quarter-final clash with American Tommy Paul.
The second seed, wearing the Spanish colours of red and yellow, produced a trademark electrifying performance on Court Suzanne Lenglen to draw gasps from the packed crowd.
Backed by vocal Spanish support, Alcaraz hit 21 winners, several deft drop shots and looked comfortable on the Parisian clay to advance after 90 minutes. The 21-year-old has fond memories in Paris, having won his maiden Roland Garros title in June.
The Spaniard will next play Paul after the American defeated Frenchman Corentin Moutet 7-6(6), 6-3. Alcaraz leads Paul 3-2 in the pair’s Lexus ATP Head2Head series, having defeated the 27-year-old en route to the Wimbledon title earlier this month.
[ATP APP]Before Alcaraz takes on Paul he will team with countryman Rafael Nadal in the quarter-finals of the doubles event on Wednesday evening. Alcaraz and Nadal won their opening match in straight sets before they clawed past Dutchmen Tallon Griekspoor and Wesley Koolhof in a Match Tie-break.
Alcaraz is a four-time major champion and has won five ATP Masters 1000 titles. The No. 3 player in the PIF ATP Rankings is making his Olympic debut and will be eager to add a gold medal in singles and doubles to his ever-growing trophy haul.
In other action, Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime earned his first Top 5 win of the season when he overcame Daniil Medvedev 6-3, 7-6(5) to reach the quarter-finals.
The 23-year-old, currently No. 19 in the PIF ATP Rankings, will play Norway’s Casper Ruud or Argentine Francisco Cerundolo. Auger-Aliassime’s best result this year was a run to the final at the ATP Masters 1000 event in Madrid.
Italian Lorenzo Musetti, a finalist last week in Umag, overcame American Taylor Fritz 7-5, 6-4. Musetti hit 15 winners to earn victory after 84 minutes.
[NEWSLETTER FORM]The National Bank Open Presented by Rogers has awarded four wild cards to Canadian players seeking to make an impact in Montreal. Denis Shapovalov, Milos Raonic, Vasek Pospisil and Gabriel Diallo will join fellow Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime, who gained direct entry through his ranking of No. 19 in the PIF ATP Rankings, in the main draw. The hard-court event will be held from 6-12 August.
Denis Shapovalov
Current PIF ATP Ranking: No. 139
Career High: No. 10 (2020)
Best Result at Canadian Open: SF (2017, l. to Alexander Zverev)
Shapovalov will hope a return to Montreal, the setting for his semi-final run in 2017, will help him in his rise back up the PIF ATP Rankings. The 25-year-old, who beat Rafael Nadal en route to the last four seven years ago, missed the second half of last season through injury but has made steady progress this year. The Canadian earned a hard-court win against Stefanos Tsitsipas at the ATP Masters 1000 event in Miami and recently reached the third round at Wimbledon. The former Top 10 star is still alive this week in Washington, where he is in the third round.
Milos Raonic
Current PIF ATP Ranking: No. 177
Career High: No. 3 (2016)
Best Result at Canadian Open: Final (2013, l. to Rafael Nadal)
The 33-year-old is a former finalist in Montreal, falling to Rafael Nadal in 2013. The Canadian, who has reached quarter-finals in Rotterdam and ‘s-Hertogenbosch this season, broke the record for the most aces in a three-set match, according to Infosys ATP Stats, earlier this year at The Queen’s Club. Raonic hit 47 aces in a tight three-set victory over Cameron Norrie and will hope his serve is firing at full capacity on home soil in Canada.
[ATP APP]Gabriel Diallo
Current PIF ATP Ranking: No. 148
Career High: No. 129 (2024)
Best result at the Canadian Open: R2 (2023, l. to Alex de Minaur)
Diallo will be aiming to build upon his success at last year’s edition of the Canadian Open, where he defeated World No. 21 Dan Evans 7-6 (4), 7-5. The 22-year-old will hope to extend his strong run of form this year, which has seen him climb to a career-high of No. 129 in the PIF ATP Rankings, qualify for his maiden grand slam appearance at Roland Garros and win an ATP Challenger Tour title in Chicago without dropping a set. The six-foot-eight Canadian exploits his huge frame, making his serve his greatest asset.
Vasek Pospisil
Current PIF ATP Ranking: No. 616
Career High: No. 25 (2014)
Best result at the Canadian Open: Semi-final (2013, l. to Milos Raonic)
Pospisil is familiar with prospering as a wild card; at 23 years old he enjoyed a stellar run as a wild card at the 2013 Canadian Open, beating Tomas Berdych en route to the semi-finals, where he lost in a third set tie-break to Raonic. Pospisil has not played a tour-level match since Toronto last year.
[NEWSLETTER FORM]Novak Djokovic continued his pursuit of a first Olympic gold medal on Wednesday at the Paris Olympics, where he moved past Germany’s Dominik Koepfer 7-5, 6-3 to reach the quarter-finals.
The Serbian defeated rival Rafael Nadal in straight sets in the second round and backed up his 31st win against the Spaniard with a dialled-in performance against Koepfer, advancing after one hour and 37 minutes.
The No. 2 player in the PIF ATP Rankings, who has won a record 24 major titles and 40 ATP Masters 1000 crowns, is making his fifth Olympics appearance. Djokovic’s best result came in Beijing in 2008 when he won a bronze medal. The Serbian, who is eager to add an Olympic gold to his trophy cabinet, revealed he is loving his time in Paris.
“It is a great honour to represent my country at the Olympics. It is an incredible sporting event,” Djokovic said. “We play Roland Garros every year in this stadium but the crowd, the atmosphere, the colours, everything is different. In a good way. The Roland Garros crowd is very knowledgeable and passionate about tennis but the Olympic crowd is something different.
“People from all over the world come to support their athletes and I think there are so many different nations and nationalities and it is beautiful to see. We are all celebrating sport and I am glad to still stay in the tournament.”
Hunting for the 🥇@DjokerNole records a 7-5 6-3 victory over Koepfer to reach the quarter-finals!@Olympics | #Paris2024 | #Tennis pic.twitter.com/gtFztGqoTj
— ATP Tour (@atptour) July 31, 2024
In hot Parisian conditions, Djokovic recovered from squandering a break advantage in the first set, grinding down the German in gruelling baseline rallies in the closing stages of the set to lead. The 37-year-old then won 95 per cent (19/20) of his first-serve points in the second set to reach the last eight in Paris.
Djokovic let out a roar after sealing victory on his first match point with a punched volley. He raised his arms to the sky to take in the embrace of the Serbian fans inside Court Philippe Chatrier, where a number of Serbian flags were spread around the stadium.
“I am soaking wet. It is a very humid day, as it was yesterday. I just hope it rains so it cools down the temperature a bit, the air,” Djokovic said. “It is the same for me and my opponent so you have to make the best out of it.”
Djokovic will next play eighth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas after the Greek downed Argentine Sebastian Baez 7-5, 6-1. Djokovic takes a 11-2 Lexus ATP Head2Head lead into his meeting with Tsitsipas, having won their past 10 meetings.
[NEWSLETTER FORM]Max Purcell and Jordan Thompson have won a hat-trick of trophies on North American soil this year.
The Australians made a convincing start to another title quest Tuesday at the Mubadala Citi DC Open, where they raced past Diego Hidalgo and John-Patrick Smith 6-2, 6-3 in just 60 minutes.
Seeded second, Purcell and Thompson triumphed in Dallas, Los Cabos and Houston this season. They reached the Wimbledon final, falling to Harri Heliovaara and Henry Patten, the top seeds in Washington.
Thompson also won the ATP Masters 1000 event in Madrid alongside Sebastian Korda, whom the Aussies could meet next. Korda and Alex Michelsen face seventh seeds Julian Cash and Robert Galloway.
In other Tuesday doubles action, Karen Khachanov and Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard advanced in straight sets, downing third seeds Jamie Murray and Michael Venus 6-4, 6-4. Eighth seeds Rafael Matos and Marcelo Melo defeated Nicolas Barrientos and Ariel Behar 7-6(7), 6-3;
Did You Know?
ATP is trialing player-worn microphones during Washington doubles matches. This innovation, part of the 2024 ATP Doubles Trial, aims to enhance the fan and broadcast experience, while also amplifying the profiles of the players. This will take place across select doubles matches throughout the week.