Carlos Alcaraz’s 2024 season showcased moments of brilliance and adversity, marked by significant victories and challenges. The 21-year-old Spaniard captured two Grand Slam titles at the French Open and Wimbledon, solidifying his status as one of tennis’s brightest stars. However, his year also included a series of setbacks following his silver-medal finish at the Paris Olympics, a milestone that appeared bittersweet for the young champion.
Renowned coach Paul Annacone, who previously worked with Roger Federer, offered insights into Alcaraz’s recent performances. According to Annacone, the high-stakes nature of the Olympics, particularly the final against Novak Djokovic, may have taken an emotional toll on Alcaraz. Despite putting up a valiant effort, the Spaniard fell to Djokovic, who was determined to secure his long-sought gold medal in his fifth Olympic appearance.
Annacone emphasized that Alcaraz’s silver medal was a remarkable achievement, yet the outcome may have been personally disheartening for the Spaniard. “I think one of his biggest accomplishments was one of his biggest hurdles to deal with this year,” Annacone remarked. “Getting ‘only’ a silver medal was a great accomplishment, but I think it broke his heart a little bit at the Olympics and knocked him into a bit of a tailspin for the rest of the summer.”
The emotional toll seemed to manifest in Alcaraz’s results, as he experienced uncharacteristic early exits at several tournaments in the latter half of the season. However, he also showed resilience, capturing a title in Beijing and continuing to compete at a high level throughout the year.
Annacone highlighted the importance of rediscovering motivation and joy in the sport. “Carlos Alcaraz is a joyful player. I think part of this year he lost some of that joy, for a multitude of reasons,” he explained.
Despite finishing outside the Top 2 rankings at the end of 2024, Alcaraz’s season remains a testament to his immense talent and potential. As he looks ahead, the experience gained from both triumphs and challenges will likely serve as valuable lessons in his pursuit of further greatness.
Novak Djokovic in 2024
Now ranked no.7, the Serbian played his last encounter on the 13th of October when he was overcome by world no.1 Jannik Sinner 7-6(4) 6-3 in the final in Shanghai (draw).
Currently, during this year the Serbian has an overall 37-9 match record. Novak clinched 1 title in Paris. Djokovic reached the final in Wimbledon and Shanghai.
Carlos Alcaraz in 2024
At the moment ranked no.3, the Spaniard played his last match on the 19th of November when he beat world no.40 Tallon Griekspoor 7-6(0) 6-3 in the Rubber 2 of the Davis Cup (draw).
This season Carlos has achieved a 54-13 win-loss record. Carlos conquered 4 titles in 2024 in Indian Wells, French Open, Wimbledon and Beijing. The Spaniard was the finalist in Paris.
Carlos Alcaraz will take on the world no.364 Gabi Adrian Boitan in the . They have never competed against each other up to now in top competitions.
The Spaniard conquered 4 titles in 2024 in Indian Wells, French Open, Wimbledon and Beijing. The Spaniard was the finalist in Paris (Olympics).
The Spaniard won 17 titles in his career: 5 on hard courts, 8 on clay courts, 1 on indoor courts and 3 on grass courts. (See the list of his titles)
Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz clashed against each other 7 times. Their current head to head is 4-3 for Djokovic. Before, the last time they fought against each other, Novak Djokovic won 7-6(3) 7-6(2) in the final in Paris (Olympics) on the 4th of August 2024.
Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz |
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