"No, I didn't get the gold!" - Carlos Alcaraz holds off on plan to get new Olympics tattoo due to his Paris final loss to Novak Djokovic
Carlos Alcaraz has decided against getting a tattoo after clinching silver at the 2024 Paris Olympics. At the singles event, the Spaniard fell short in the final hurdle against Novak Djokovic.
Alcaraz’s fondness for tattoos is no secret. The Spaniard has four known tattoos so far, one honoring his grandfather’s motto, “CCC,” and the others for his maiden titles at the US Open (2022), the Wimbledon Championships (2023), and the French Open (2024). While he commemorated his New York triumph by tattooing just the winning date, he added a strawberry for his victory at SW19 and the Eiffel Tower for his French Open heroics.
Had he won gold at the Paris Olympics, Carlos Alcaraz would have been keen on continuing the tradition. However, after settling on silver with a championship-match loss to Novak Djokovic, the 21-year-old decided against getting inked.
"No, because I didn’t get the gold!" Alcaraz said laughing, during the Cincinnati Open media day.
"If I could have won the gold medal, I would have gotten a tattoo," he added.
Meanwhile, the Spaniard said his silver medal has pitched camp at his home in Murcia, beside his Wimbledon and French Open trophies.
"It’s at home! It is close to Wimbledon and Roland Garros trophies in the living room. It’s over there," he revealed.
"Rafael Nadal won gold in 2008 and couldn't make the final again" – Carlos Alcaraz on his missed Paris Olympics chance
Carlos Alcaraz contested not only the men’s singles title at the 2024 Paris Olympics but also the men’s doubles alongside his idol, Rafael Nadal.
Nadal, a two-time Olympic gold medalist—singles at Beijing 2008 and men’s doubles at Rio 2016—was competing in his final Olympic event ahead of his impending retirement. The 22-time Grand Slam champion, too, participated in both categories, losing to his arch-rival Novak Djokovic in singles, just like Alcaraz.
In men’s doubles, the legendary duo missed out on a chance at clinching a medal, losing to eventual gold medalists Matthew Ebden and John Peers in the quarterfinals. During the Cincinnati Open media day, Carlos Alcaraz rued his missed chance at clinching gold. He also mentioned Rafael Nadal’s solitary singles triumph in 2008 to highlight the event’s elusiveness.
"Obviously nobody knows what’s going to happen in the future, if I’m going to reach the final again. For example, Rafael Nadal won the gold medal in 2008 and he couldn’t make the final again in the Olympic Games," he said during the aforementioned conversation.
"I’m probably going to have another chance in the future, but I’m not sure about it," he added.
Carlos Alcaraz is gearing up to defend his runner-up finish at the Cincinnati Open. At the 2023 event, Djokovic beat the Spaniard despite being a match point down. Alcaraz would thus hope for a change of fortune this time as he chases a year-end World No. 1 finish in the final months of the season.
The four-time Grand Slam champion has received an opening-round bye in Cincinnati. He is set to begin his run against either Gael Monfils or Alexei Popyrin in the second round.