Olympic males’s tennis 2024 preview: Largest names and storylines in Paris draw

The 2024 Summer time Olympics in Paris are practically right here, and the lads’s singles bracket is totally brimming with large storylines to comply with. Will the highest younger gamers like Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner dominate as they’ve in latest Grand Slam occasions, or can somebody like 37-year-old Novak Djokovic lastly add a gold medal to his resume? Can Rafael Nadal make magic occur as soon as once more earlier than he calls it a profession?

On condition that the Olympics are in Paris, it makes excellent sense that the tennis might be performed on the clay courts of Roland Garros, the place the French Open takes place. And which means nearly everybody might be watching Nadal, who has a reference to Roland Garros like no different. He’s at 112-4 all time, and skipped what would possible have been a final try at Wimbledon up to now month to tune up for these Olympics.

Neither Djokovic nor Nadal have mentioned that that is their final match, but it surely’s nearly actually their final Olympics. That additionally goes for guys like 37-year-old Andy Murray, and 39-year-old Stan Wawrinka, who all have discovered success on these clay courts. However regardless of these large names, it’s younger weapons like Alcaraz and Sinner who might be favored, and for good motive.

The format for Olympic tennis could be very a lot much like the Grand Slams — there might be males’s and girls’s singles and doubles brackets, with attracts of 64 and single elimination matches. We’ll have a look at a few of the particular person gamers beneath, and may have additional evaluation when the draw and first match schedules are launched on July 25.

Alcaraz: There’s no participant extra spectacular and electrifying to look at proper now than Carlos Alcaraz. He’s the No. 1 goal for the remainder of the bracket, having notched two Grand Slam titles in 2024, together with a French Open on these identical clay courts. On his strategy to profitable that, he bested Stefanos Tsitsipas in straight units, after which each Sinner and Alexander Zverev in 5 units. Alcaraz then earned a Channel Slam, which is what it’s known as when a participant wins the French Open adopted by a win at Wimbledon only a couple weeks later. Alcaraz grew to become simply the second man within the Open Period to win all of his first 4 main finals when he took Wimbledon, and holds an 0-2 head-to-head mark towards Sinner, his high competitors and world No. 1 participant.

Picture by Francois Nel/Getty Photos

Sinner: Regardless of falling to Alcaraz within the French Open closing and getting bounced by the fifth-seeded Daniil Medvedev at Wimbledon, Sinner has collected sufficient factors to take the No. 1 rating. The 22-year-old Italian is a bit behind Alcaraz on the subject of profitable slams, however aside from their direct head-to-head, Sinner may nonetheless be thought-about the favourite going into Paris. Sinner began the season off by getting his first ever Grand Slam title on the Australian Open, and made it so far as the semifinal within the French Open. He took the Halle Open earlier this yr shortly after incomes his No. 1 rating. Throughout his five-set loss to Medvedev, he was coping with an sickness, however must be rested up for a run at Roland Garros.

Djokovic: Although the Serb has extra Grand Slam singles titles than some other, he hasn’t but managed to safe a significant title in 2024. He’s coping with a torn meniscus, which he battled via to win a match on the French Open earlier than in the end withdrawing earlier than his quarterfinal contest with Casper Ruud. It’s been an especially irritating season for him and most significantly: he’s by no means gained a gold medal. Nonetheless, beating a few of the youthful guys, not to mention Nadal et al, might be very troublesome.

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Rafael Nadal: As famous above, Nadal skipped Wimbledon to participate on this yr’s Olympics. Roland Garros is the location of 14 of Nadal’s 22 Grand Slam titles and he mentioned firstly of this yr that this match was an vital one for him. Nadal already has two gold medals, one in singles at Beijing in 2008, and one in doubles with Marc López in Rio de Janeiro in 2016. He’s a couple of yr faraway from hip surgical procedure although, and it’ll require some draw luck and a few of the outdated Nadal magic to make it via.

What in regards to the Individuals?

Whereas American males haven’t gained any main titles in recent times, 26-year-old Taylor Fritz might be making his Olympic debut and has their greatest shot at profitable a medal. He’s joined by Tommy Paul, Chris Eubanks, and Marcos Giron, although all are thought-about longshots.

Fritz has discovered loads of success in lots of tournaments, however has by no means made it previous the quarterfinals of a slam. He gained the 2022 Indian Wells Open and made it to the quarterfinals of each the Australian Open and Wimbledon in 2024. He suffered and hid an harm throughout the French Open and carried that into the grass courtroom season, so he is probably not one hundred pc in Paris, both.

Past the fellows above and Fritz, the sphere will after all comprise

The way to watch tennis on the 2024 Olympics

Tennis on the Olympics might be primarily broadcast on CNBC, USA Community, and E! so far as tv goes, and streaming on Peacock, NBCOlympics.com, NBC.com, the NBC app and the NBC Olympics app — so there’s some good choices for catching each match. Play begins on Saturday, July 27 and the lads’s singles bracket is anticipated to conclude on August 4. Tv protection will usually begin at 6 a.m. ET and run via the afternoon.