Carlos Alcaraz to prioritize Paris Olympics over French Open 2024: "Winning gold is one of the greatest things in sports"

Spain's tennis sensation Carlos Alcaraz has set his eyes on a gold medal at the Paris Olympics, scheduled to begin on July 26, 2024.

Alcaraz recently landed in Buenos Aires to defend his Argentina Open title. This will be his first tournament after losing the Australian Open quarterfinal match to Alexander Zverev last month.

The Spaniard sat for an interaction with the media ahead of the title defense in the Argentine capital. With the Paris Games in sight, the media asked Alcaraz to choose between a French Open title or a gold at the Olympics. In response, he declared that securing the gold for his country would bring him greater joy.

"I keep the Olympic title because for me it is a dream to win a medal for my country. [Winning] Gold is one of the greatest things in sport in general," Alcaraz said, as translated from Spanish (via Marca).

The World No. 2 stated that even though he is eager to earn his first title at Roland Garros, it isn't imperative for him to win one this year itself.

"A Grand Slam is a Grand Slam, it doesn't matter if it is Roland Garros or any other. Roland Garros is a tournament that I am excited to win and I hope to improve on last year's semifinals, but I don't feel like I should win it or I have a thorn in my side for not having won it yet. In the end, it's like any other Grand Slam, it's worth one," Carlos Alcaraz added.

Alcaraz would most likely aim for the Olympic gold in singles but he has been rumored to pair up with Rafael Nadal to contend in the doubles category as well.

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A look into Carlos Alcaraz's Argentina Open triumph in 2023

Carlos Alcaraz lifts the 2023 Argentina Open trophy

Carlos Alcaraz opened his account for the 2023 season by winning the Argentina Open in February. This was his fifth title on clay and seventh overall.

Alcaraz entered the draw as the top seed at the ATP 250 event in Buenos Aires that season. He started his campaign by defeating Serbia's Laslo Djere 6-2, 4-6, 6-2. In the quarterfinals, he downed another Serbian in the form of Dusan Lajovic.

The two-time Grand Slam champion then overcame compatriot Bernabe Zapata Miralles 6-2, 6-2 in the semifinals to set up a showdown with second seed Cameron Norrie in the decider. Alcaraz comprehensively defeated the Brit 6-3, 7-5 to clinch the trophy.