Carlos Alcaraz hit the ground running with a confident start at the Olympics. While he and Rafael Nadal were defeated at the QF stage in men’s doubles, another edition of Alcaraz vs Tommy Paul had us glued to our seats. The Spaniard usually bombards his way through most opponents but the American has proven a tough nut to crack. Alcaraz barely leads their H2H with a 3-2 win, the latest coming in the quarterfinals. But given the one place Paul has won against him, Alcaraz has withdrawn entirely from that match.

The National Bank Open, which is just after the Olympics, has suffered a hit as big names from the tennis world withdrew from the event following the Olympics. Due to Paris 2024, the National Bank Open main draw will begin next week, one day later than usual.

Ahead of the event, Alcaraz has declared his intention to back out of the competition, citing the necessity to properly recuperate and manage his schedule. He stated, “It has been a very long season for me and due to the accumulation of matches and fatigue, I will not be able to play in Montreal this year.”

Further, he added, “I was really looking forward to coming back to Canada and enjoying the love of the fans. Hope to see everyone in Montreal in the years to come.”

Jiri Lehecka (ranked 30) and Francisco Cerundolo (ranked 26) have withdrawn from the National Bank Open, according to Tennis Canada. But what’s interesting is, this withdrawal denies the tennis community another chance at the Paul/ Alcaraz rivalry.

Last August, Paul pulled off a huge upset against then World No. 1 Alcaraz, becoming the first American man to do so since 2017. Montreal and Toronto are the two places that Paul has pulled off a win against the Spaniard but the latter pulling out gives him one less chance at revenge. Alcaraz had also beat Paul at the Wimbledon QF this year, ultimately becoming the champion.

However, Alcaraz is not the the only one to withdraw. Even Novak Djokovic withdrew from the same event, just before the Spaniard, stating his injury woes. On the one hand, Djokovic is trying his best to win his first gold medal, but the 21-year-old is also carrying a dream on his shoulders, making his wish quite clear.

Carlos Alcaraz would prefer winning a gold

Earlier this year, Carlos Alcaraz made his priorities clear: if he had to choose between victory at Roland Garros in June or winning the Olympic tennis tournament in August, well, there’s only one right option. More than winning one of the esteemed Grand Slam championships, Alcaraz’s greatest desire is to represent his nation and succeed internationally.

The Spaniard said, “I would say the Olympic title. It’s a dream for me to bring gold home to my country Spain. The gold medal is one of the greatest things in sport. I mean, I’d prefer to win Olympic gold this year… even though I’d like to win both, I won’t lie.”

While for the doubles, he is competing with Rafael Nadal and is doing well, making sure to learn and wing with the 22-time Grand Slam champion. Nevertheless, what are your thoughts on Alcaraz’s big decision? Do let us know in the comment section below.