Carlos Alcaraz expressed his disappointment after losing the Olympic Games gold medal match to Novak Djokovic at Roland Garros on Sunday, saying he felt he had let Spain down.
The 21-year-old Alcaraz, who was aiming to become the youngest mens singles champion in Olympic history, described the defeat as painful and became emotional during a post-match TV interview.
"I feel that I let the Spanish people down. I feel they were waiting for the gold medal," said Alcaraz after his 7-6 (7/3), 7-6 (7/2) loss. "I got emotional because I couldn't make the Spanish people proud. That's why I got emotional."
A victory would have capped off a remarkable summer for Alcaraz, who won his first French Open on the same courts and defended his Wimbledon title by defeating Djokovic just last month.
In the final, which lasted nearly three hours, neither player managed to break the others serve. A total of 14 break points were created and all were saved, with Alcaraz unable to convert any of his eight chances on Court Philippe Chatrier.
