“Carlos and Novak have won quite a few tournaments, so I don’t feel too bad” : Tommy Paul on early exits of US Open title contenders
The 2024 US Open so far has not turned out what it was supposed to look like. For starters, the top three world rankings, Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner were the favorites to win the final Grand Slam of the year, but two of them have already gotten knocked out.
Both the Spaniard and Serbian were shown the door in the third round itself, after very tough matches from their competitors. Fans were shocked to see this unfold, as the world no.2 and 3 were the top choices for winning it all at the flushing meadows.
While the 37-year-old has had an injury filled year, he was able to make his final chance of winning gold count at the Paris Olympics. On the other hand, Carlos Alcaraz was in the best run of his career till now, as he won both the French Open and Wimbledon, while also securing a silver in the Olympics.
But analysts and fans worldwide believe due to them performing consistently and going deep into tournaments, fatigue may as well have been the reason for their surprisingly early exits. Meanwhile, the world no.14 also thinks the same way.
“I don’t want to take anything away from those guys” : Tommy Paul on Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz failure in the US Open
Tommy Paul is having an impressive US Open so far, as he proved his quality by beating Gabriel Diallo in the third round 6-7(5), 6-3, 6-1 and 7-6(3). And with the exits of the two favorites, the American was asked about his chances further on in the post-match interview, to which he had a humble reply to.
“I think the guys who played Alcaraz and Novak stepped up and played great, but yeah, I feel like I went through Olympic fatigue, I guess at the right time, in Canada and Cincy, but I feel pretty good now. I’ve recovered a bit. Yeah, it’s a tough change. We’ve never gone from grass to clay so quickly,” said the American (via Punto de Break).
“I don’t want to take anything away from those guys, they earned those wins and played some amazing tennis. I’m happy for them. Carlos and Novak have won quite a few tournaments, so I don’t feel too bad,” the 27-year-old added.
The Spaniard and Serbian won’t be too disappointed with their failures this late in the year, as both have already achieved important records for themselves. If anything, this loss will probably make them both to come back stronger the next time.
But as for the world no.14, the road to the quarter finals does not get any easier, as he will be facing world no.1 Jannik Sinner. So far, the Italian has had a comfortable road to the final, and although the American was able to best him one time before, the odds are all against him this time around.
