NEW YORK — Here’s a piece of advice for any men hoping to have a successful US Open in an Olympic year: Don’t win the silver medal.
Carlos Alcaraz‘s shock second-round defeat by Botic van de Zandschulp at Flushing Meadows on Thursday night was just the latest in a run of early exits for those who have come so close to winning gold at the Games down the years.
Since tennis was officially reintroduced into the Olympics in 1988 (when the Games were held after the US Open), Roger Federer is the only male silver medal winner to make it even as far as the quarterfinals, in 2012.
Three lost in the first round, including Juan Martin del Potro in 2016 and Karen Khachanov in 2021; three went out in Round 2; two exited in Round 3; and one made the last 16.
Speaking after his defeat Thursday night, Alcaraz said he didn’t feel that missing out on gold had played a part in his performance or affected him.
“Being so close [to] the gold medal, it was difficult for me in the few moments or one hour … [after] the match,” he said. “But once I realized what I have achieved, the silver medal, it was a great achievement. I was really proud about it and after … I didn’t think about it anymore.”
But after a packed summer in which he also won the French Open and Wimbledon, his performance in Cincinnati — where he lost his first match and smashed a racket on the court — and his below-par display in New York, suggest otherwise.
Even a bronze medal seems to make players happier than the just-missed-gold silver medal.
When tennis players lose a match, that’s normally that. Time to pack the bags and move on to the next week and the next opportunity. But at the Olympics, when you lose in the semifinals, there is a second chance, at least in tennis. Winning the bronze medal can almost feel better than silver, because of that chance for redemption.
“I’ve been told statistically that bronze medalists are happier than silver medalists,” Taylor Fritz said, with a smile, at the US Open earlier this…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at www.espn.com – TENNIS…