Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz advanced to the third round of the Paris Games tennis tournament on Monday by defeating Netherlands’ Tallon Griekspoor 6-1, 7-6(3). Alcaraz, the world number three, set the tone early on Court Philippe-Chatrier with an ace and two forehand winners, showcasing his determination to claim Olympic gold.
Alcaraz, who won the French Open and Wimbledon titles this year, started strong by breaking Griekspoor’s serve immediately and racing through the first set in just 32 minutes. However, Griekspoor, ranked 28th in the world, fought back in the second set, holding his serve under pressure and forcing Alcaraz into some uncharacteristic errors.
During the second set, Alcaraz required a medical timeout for treatment on a groin muscle issue, a pain he mentioned had been bothering him since his Wimbledon run. Despite this, he managed to close out the match in a tiebreaker, avoiding a third set.
“It’s a pain that I’ve been dealing with,” Alcaraz said. “I know what I have to do … to deal with this pain.”
In the next round, Alcaraz will face Russian Roman Safiullin, the world number 67, who is competing as a neutral athlete. Alcaraz is also scheduled to play doubles with fellow Spaniard Rafael Nadal on Tuesday against Griekspoor and Wesley Koolhof.
“I will try to recover as soon and as best as I can tonight,” Alcaraz said, “to be 100% tomorrow in my doubles.”