Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz overcame a determined Tallon Griekspoor of the Netherlands in a hard-fought second set to advance to the third round of the Paris 2024 Olympics tennis tournament on Monday. The world number three, fresh off his victories at the French Open and Wimbledon, displayed the form that makes him a formidable opponent, but also showed some uncharacteristic lapses in concentration as he strives for Olympic gold.
Alcaraz, playing on Court Philippe-Chatrier, set the tone early with an ace and two powerful forehand winners. The crowd, still buzzing from witnessing fellow Spaniard Rafa Nadal’s defeat to Novak Djokovic, seemed eager to witness Alcaraz carry the torch at Roland Garros. He broke Griekspoor’s serve immediately and raced through the first set in a swift 32 minutes.
However, the 28th-ranked Griekspoor proved a tougher opponent in the second set. He held his serve under pressure repeatedly, matching Alcaraz shot for shot, forcing the Spaniard into some uncharacteristic errors. The set went to a tiebreak, where Alcaraz upped the intensity and showcased his finesse to ultimately secure the victory.
Alcaraz’s next challenge will be against Russian Roman Safiullin, the world number 67, competing as a neutral athlete. During his second-round win over Griekspoor, Alcaraz was hampered by a groin injury, but he expressed optimism about being fully recovered in time for his doubles match on Tuesday.
“I know how to manage this pain; it’s normal for a tennis player with such a demanding schedule,” the 21-year-old told reporters. “I’ll try to recover as soon and as well as possible tonight to be ready at 100% for doubles tomorrow.”
