The Paris Olympics have been nothing short of a triumph for Team USA. With an astonishing 116 medals under their belt—35 golds, 41 silvers, and 40 bronzes—American athletes have truly made their mark on the world’s biggest stage. Tennis has also made its contribution to the USA’s medals tally with a silver and a bronze in the men’s doubles category. While the spotlight has now shifted from the clay courts of Paris to the hard courts of the American swing, the joy and pride of the Olympic glory continue to resonate. The latest to express these sentiments is the star athlete Austin Krajicek. 

Krajicek alongside Rajeev Ram clinched the silver medal at the Olympics. But besides them, there was yet another American force that dominated the tennis courts in Paris. It was the formidable duo of Tommy Paul and Taylor Fritz who clinched bronze. And as the stars gear up for the hard court season, Krajicek highlighted a significant factor that makes Paul and Fritz’s triumph special and different from their compatriots. 

The doubles legend engaged in an interview with Mats Wilander and Jonny Levine on the podcast KickServeRadio to deliberate on a wide range of topics related to the Olympic games. “Tommy and Taylor did an unbelievable job,” Krajicek said. “They stayed in the village the whole time. Which is, which is amazing, because obviously, the guys were fantastic. The food wasn’t the best. But, I mean, it is a cool atmosphere, to say the least, and it’s just different,” the 34-year-old continued to heap praise for his compatriots Paul and Fritz and highlighted the grit they demonstrated at the venue.

Both Fritz and Paul have never won a Grand Slam. Hence, participating in an event as grand as the Olympics where they had to reckon with the top forces from all across the globe was not easy. But they defied the odds meticulously and achieved what very few would have anticipated. 

Continuing further, Krajicek revealed the challenges that the bronze medalists faced, as he said, “The food was, was very, very subpar. And normally it’s really good, so it’s just a different, you know, organization running things. So, it was a different feel 100 percent.” While many of the American athletes shifted from the Olympic Village to the luxury of hotels, Paul and Fritz did not. For the unversed, the situation in the village was quite awful for many star athletes.

Taking to her Instagram, Coco Gauff had shared the clips from the Olympic village. The footage showed a frantic scene from the venue: a cramped apartment filled with athletes getting ready in every corner, clothes strewn over the floor, no air conditioners and curtains in some rooms, and just a few bathrooms for numerous players.

But as Paul and Fritz have now reached the glory, they wouldn’t bother too much about any difficulty they might have faced in the village. The duo talked about their partnership and bond after they earned a spot on the podium for Team USA.

When Fritz revealed her special bond with Paul

Fritz and Paul suffered a setback in the semi-finals but came back stronger for the Bronze medal match. After putting on an exemplary performance against Tomas Machac and Adam Pavlasek of the Czech Republic, Fritz revealed his special bond with Paul and his wish to achieve more together.

With medals hanging around their necks, both Paul and Fritz were grateful to each other. “It’s cool… both of us are singles players, but as far as doing it in doubles (goes), I don’t think I’d want to share this moment with anybody else,” said Fritz. And, Paul agreed with a similar response. “As a whole, the whole time we’ve been here, it’s been so cool, and to leave here and share a medal with Taylor, it’s a dream for us.”

As tennis progresses to a different surface, it would be interesting to see if the camaraderie, the words of wisdom, and praises from experts like Krajicek help the duo achieve big at the US Open as well.