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It was a busy day on the courts of Roland Garros, highlighted by former, future and current stars of the tennis world.
First up, Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz, in his first Olympics, sailed into the semifinals after beating American Tommy Paul 6-3, 7-6(7) in a scintillating match that featured fabulous comebacks from both players.
Alcaraz and Paul had met just five times prior to their Olympic matchup on Thursday, with Alcaraz having the edge at three wins. But it felt like there was something brewing between the two of them. Alcaraz took the first set 6-3 in 39 minutes, but Paul came alive in the second set. He managed to stake out a 3-0 lead over Alcaraz, a rare feat for any player. Alcaraz got on the board, but down 5-2, he was staring a third set right in the face.
Then, it was Alcaraz’s turn to come alive. He stopped Paul in his tracks, holding at 5-3 and then 5-4. By the time Alcaraz had come all the way back and tied the set at 5-5, Paul’s surge was a distant memory. But Paul had more left in the tank. He won the very next game without Alcaraz scoring a single point, guaranteeing at least a tiebreak.
A tiebreak is exactly what came next. And for a tiebreak, it was thrilling. Tied 3-3 after six points, Alcaraz won the next two, only for Paul to make another comeback to tie it 5-5. Then Alcaraz had match point at 6-5, but Paul again caught back up. Paul went ahead 7-6 and could win the set with the next point, but Alcaraz snuck one in to tie it again.
But it had to end. Alcaraz finally managed to score two points in a row to win the tiebreak 9-7, as well as the set, and the match. He has made the semifinals and is guaranteed to play for a medal (though not guaranteed to win one). He will face either Casper Ruud of Norway or Felix Auger-Aliassime of Canada in the semifinals. Ruud and Auger-Aliassime play later on Thursday.
Novak Djokovic advances
Later on Thursday, Novak Djokovic topped Stefanos Tsitsipas in straight sets to advance to a semifinal match against Lorenzo Musetti on Friday. He had some issues with his knee, however, which he had surgery on after having to withdraw from the French Open in early June.
“I’m concerned about the state of the knee,” Djokovic said. “I cannot give you exact information, because I don’t have it. I have to go and examine the knee now with my physio and with the medical staff of the tournament. And then let’s see.”
Where the U.S. stands
Every tennis discipline is racing to the finish, which means we have a much clearer picture of whether any Americans have a chance to win a medal. Paul was the last remaining American competitor in men’s or women’s singles, so no medals there. Same for women’s doubles (Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula lost), and mixed doubles (Gauff and Taylor Fritz lost).
But Team USA is having more luck in men’s doubles. Paul and Fritz, who are longtime friends, beat Great Britain’s Andy Murray and Daniel Evans in the quarterfinals on Thursday. And the under-the-radar duo of Austin Krajicek and Rajeev Ram, who are both doubles specialists (Ram is a six-time Grand Slam doubles champion), are into the finals and are guaranteed either a gold or silver medal.
The end of the road for Murray
Murray’s and Evans’ loss to Paul and Fritz in straight sets on Thursday marked the end of the 37-year-old Murray’s storied career. The nine-time Grand Slam winner announced ahead of the Paris Games that the 2024 Olympics would be his final tournament. Murray won the gold medal in the men’s singles in both the 2012 and 2016 Olympics.
“I don’t know exactly what the rest of my life will look like, but I will still stay in touch with the sport,” Murray said of retirement before the Games began. “Initially, I want to be at home with my family. I want to spend a lot of time with my kids and my wife, so I won’t be on the road much, I know that.”
Naturally, Murray, who left the court in tears Thursday night, injected some British humor into the situation on X.
Never even liked tennis anyway.
— Andy Murray (@andy_murray) August 1, 2024
