Carlos Alcaraz falls prey to a 37-year-old hungry ‘predator‘! The 21-year-old Spaniard created a historic moment in his career by becoming the youngest finalist in the Olympics men’s singles event. His stellar form this year made some of the fans consider him a clear favorite in this mega-final clash on Sunday. However, Novak Djokovic had other plans, and the Serb sealed a victory in a hard-fought battle by a 7-6(3),7-6(2) margin. Alcaraz was absolutely shattered after this disappointing loss in the final of his first Olympic Games. He shared a heart-breaking statement after this defeat.

With this victory, Djokovic became the fifth player to complete the Career Golden Slam. He is also the oldest man ever to win a gold medal at the singles event since 1988. However, for the ‘Golden Boy‘ of the tennis world, it was sheer disappointment! Alex Corretja was even spotted consoling the youngster with his arm around his compatriot during the on-court interview. In that interview, Alcaraz said, “I gave everything. It’s painful to lose the way I lost this match. I had my chances to probably be up in the match. I couldn’t take it.”

However, despite this disappointment, Carlitos didn’t forget to heap praise on his opponent for his incredible brand of tennis. He said Djokovic played well, and he deserves this win. Alcaraz feels the Serb played some unbelievable shots in this match. This loss is surely disappointing, and he reflected the same in another interview later on. The Spaniard was heard saying in Spanish, “I feel like I’ve let down a lot of people who were hoping I’d win the gold medal.” He revealed that he got a bit emotional because he couldn’t make the Spanish people proud.

Alcaraz later on also revealed that although he became a bit emotional with this defeat, he wanted to leave the court with his head held high. He said he’s proud of the way he played against Djokovic in the finals. Even his tennis idol heaped praise on his performance at the Olympics afterward.

Rafael Nadal appreciates Carlos Alcaraz’s valiant efforts to land a gold medal

Shortly after their exit from the doubles event, Rafael Nadal encouraged Alcaraz to “Go for gold!” in the singles event. Carlitos tried his best to fulfill the wish of his tennis idol but unfortunately for the Spanish fans, he went down to someone who had waited for this moment for almost 16 years. Acknowledging his valiant efforts, Rafa later on came up with a few words of encouragement for his compatriot.

He shared a post on social media where he wrote, “Carlos, although I know that today is a difficult day, appreciate a medal that is very important for the whole country; with time you will see that it is for you too. Thank you for this incredible week and for a medal that you give to Spanish sport.” Carlos Alcaraz lost the match, but was he defeated?

No, because he has assured all the Spanish fans that he’s pretty sure that his moment will come. He believes one day he’ll surely bring the gold medal for his nation. Until then, he will wait for that moment and work hard to achieve that dream. Novak Djokovic is a perfect example of what patience and perseverance can do to achieve one’s long-desired dreams.