Rory McIlroy says Wimbledon champion has caught his attention at the Olympics, lauds Tennis event's atmosphere in Paris

Rory McIlroy was amazed by the electrifying atmosphere at a tennis match during the 2024 Paris Olympics. The Northern Irish golfer began his outing in Paris with the inaugural round of the golf event on August 1. After the round, McIlroy spoke to the media about the sport that inspired him at the Olympics this year.

He shared his experience, stating that he was highly impressed with the atmosphere at the tennis court. He specifically mentioned watching the doubles match featuring Spanish tennis stars Rafael Nadal and 2024 Wimbledon champion Carlos Alcaraz. McIlroy admitted it was his first time watching Alcaraz play and was impressed with the experience.

"I got to my first event last night watching Rafa and Carlos play doubles. I never watched Carlos play live in person before, which I was really excited for that. Excited for Rafa as well. That was really cool to see, and the atmosphere there was electric when they started to make that little fightback in the second set. That was cool to be a part of," said McIlroy (via ASAP Sports).

Nadal and Alcaraz played in the doubles quarterfinals against US stars Austin Krajicek and Rajeev Ram but lost by 6-2, 6-4.

Additionally, Rory McIlroy was impressed by his fellow countryman Daniel Wiffen, who made history by winning gold in the 800m freestyle swimming event. Wiffen became the first athlete from Northern Ireland to win a gold medal in 36 years.

McIlroy admitted that he didn't watch the race live but caught it on TV, noting that Wiffen's "last hundred" was incredible.

"I watched it on TV. The last hundred he swam was incredible. Yeah, unbelievable. And then apparently I haven't seen it, apparently his 15030 is better than his 800. Excited for Saturday to see if he can get a second Gold," he added.

Meanwhile, Rory McIlroy had a good start at the Paris Olympics, shooting a 3-under 68 in the opening round and tying for 14th place.

---

"It was okay. Solid start"- Rory McIlroy on his opening round performance at the Paris Olympics 2024

Rory McIlroy had a solid start at the Paris Olympics. He began with a bogey on the second hole but quickly responded with a birdie on the next. He added another birdie on the fifth hole and an eagle on the ninth. McIlroy had a strong performance on the front nine but faced some difficulties on the back nine, where he recorded three bogeys and three birdies.

Speaking of his performance, McIlroy said (via ASAP Sports):

"It was okay. Solid start. A bit up-and-down which is to be expected. I didn't do a whole lot between The Open and here. Some good. Some not so good. A solid opening round. A little disappointing with the three-putt at the last. Overall, as I said, a solid start and something to build upon."

Notably, Hideki Matsuyama took the lead after the opening round of the Paris Olympics, shooting a 63 to hold a two-stroke advantage over Xander Schauffele, the 2020 Tokyo Olympics gold medalist. The tournament will have its finale on Sunday, August 4.