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In what could potentially be his final appearance at Roland Garros, Rafael Nadal departed the Paris Olympics without a medal following his loss in the Men’s Double Quarterfinal alongside Carlos Alcaraz to Americans Rajeev Ram and Austin Krajicek.
Nadal, a 14-time French Open champion at Roland Garros, succumbed to Ram and Krajicek in straight sets (6-4, 6-4).
“Honestly, it’s all about teamwork,” expressed Ram to Yahoo Sports’ Kendall Baker post-match. “We emphasize supporting each other and boosting each other up — not just in terms of tennis. We all understand how to play the game. When you’re out there, it’s more about, can you get yourself and your partner in the right state of mind?
“There are certain shots that are beneficial in doubles — the serve, net play, those kinds of things — which we practice extensively. However, a lot of it comes down to teamwork, which I believe is pretty cool.”
Meanwhile, Novak Djokovic has moved one step closer to clinching an Olympic gold medal, the one accolade that has eluded him throughout his illustrious career. The Serbian overcame Germany’s Dominik Koepfer 7-5, 6-3 on Wednesday to progress to the quarterfinals.
His upcoming adversary will be Greece’s Stefanos Tsitsipas, and there’s a bit of history between the two. They have faced off 13 times over the past six years, with Djokovic emerging victorious in their last 10 encounters for a total of 11 wins compared to Tsitsipas’ two. Their most memorable encounter took place in 2021 at the French Open finals, where Djokovic staged a remarkable comeback from a 2-0 deficit and near-certain defeat to claim the title.
But what about the other American contenders? Let’s delve into how they are faring as the Olympic tennis events near the finish line.
Taylor Fritz loses, Tommy Paul advances to quarterfinals
Fritz, the No. 12 ranked men’s singles player globally (and the top-ranked American), displayed impressive form in the initial rounds but was unable to surpass Lorenzo Musetti in Round 3. The Italian, who has been in good form recently (reaching the Wimbledon semifinals last month, where he fell to Djokovic), defeated Fritz 6-4, 7-5 in straight sets.
There is still one American left in men’s singles: No. 13 ranked Tommy Paul. He dispatched France’s Corentin Moutet in straight sets on Wednesday to secure a spot in the quarterfinals. However, his next opponent might prove to be a formidable obstacle: Alcaraz. Spain’s successor to Nadal (and a clay court prodigy) clinched the French Open title in June, then overcame Djokovic in the Wimbledon final just weeks later. Now, he is set to face Paul in the Olympic quarters after defeating Roman Safiullin 6-4, 6-2 on Wednesday. It will require a significant effort from Paul to overcome Alcaraz, but surprises are not uncommon at the Olympics.
Iga Swiatek advances to semifinals
Iga Swiatek progressed to the semifinals after Danielle Collins retired in the third set of their match (6-1, 2-6, 4-1).
Swiatek dominated the first set before Collins leveled the match. Collins momentarily stunned Swiatek in the third set with a powerful backhand to the ribcage. Following Swiatek’s 4-1 lead in the final set, Collins decided to retire. The two players appeared to exchange words at the conclusion of the match.
Swiatek is now poised to face Zheng Qinwen in the semifinals.
Coco Gauff, Jessica Pegula fall to Czech team in women’s doubles
The pairing of Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula, seeded No. 1 in women’s doubles at the Olympics, suffered defeat. Just under two months ago, they secured their first Grand Slam doubles title at Roland Garros, where they competed on Wednesday. However, unlike their triumph at the French Open, Gauff and Pegula were unable to emerge victorious. They were bested by Czech duo Karolina Muchova and Linda Noskova after splitting the first two sets 6-2, 4-6, and then losing the tiebreak 5-10.
Gauff, who exited the women’s singles competition on Tuesday, also fell in mixed doubles alongside Taylor Fritz later on Wednesday afternoon. This officially dashed her hopes of securing a medal this summer. Gauff and Fritz were defeated by Canadians Gabby Dabrowski and Felix Auger-Aliassime 7-6 (2), 3-6, 10-8.