Carlos Alcaraz celebrated his historic French Open win with a mix of relaxation and reflection. After the emotional victory, the young Spaniard returned to Roland Garros on Monday for a photo shoot with the coveted Coupe des Mousquetaires. Looking dapper in a black suit, he soaked in the moment before taking a well-deserved three-day break from tennis. But before disconnecting completely, Alcaraz dedicated nearly half an hour to the Spanish press who followed him throughout the tournament. While he was on cloud nine with his first Roland Garros win, the World No. 2 stayed humble and made a choice of “representing every Spaniard”.

After clinching his first French Open title, Carlos Alcaraz is looking forward to bringing home a gold medal at the Paris Olympics. While the 21-year-old is also the defending champion at both Queen’s Club and Wimbledon, he recently chose to prioritize the Olympics this year over his Wimbledon title defense.

When asked about his preference between defending his Wimbledon title or winning an Olympic gold medal, Alcaraz made his priorities clear. “The Olympic Games are every four years and it’s a special tournament where you’re not only playing for yourself, but for a country, representing every Spaniard. I think this year I’d choose Olympic gold,” he said in a recent interview with the ATP Tour.

The French Open this year saw a torch being passed. While a young Carlos Alcaraz idolizes the legendary Rafael Nadal, it was Alcaraz himself who ultimately emerged victorious. After a surprising upset saw Zverev knock Nadal out of the tournament early, many fans, including likely Alcaraz himself, felt a sense of injustice. However, in a thrilling final, Alcaraz managed to defeat Zverev, not just claiming his first French Open title, but perhaps fulfilling a bit of unspoken revenge for his fallen idol.

Alcaraz’s recent victory at Roland Garros saw him secure a massive five-setter victory over Germany’s Alexander Zverev. “Last year I clearly failed that exam, but this time we’d done our homework,” declared the Spaniard. “This year I managed to do much better. I think I passed the exam, but not with flying colors. It’s something I have to keep improving and as the years go by, I’ll feel even better,” the World No. 2 exclaimed.

The joy of Carlos Alcaraz’s French Open triumph wasn’t a solitary celebration. One of the first to shower him with congratulations, as befitting a true champion, was none other than the legendary Rafael Nadal, a fellow Spaniard and Alcaraz’s idol. “Congratulations @carlosalcaraz for this immense victory!!!! Big!!!! Very happy for your successes!!! #Let’s go”, the legend added in a post on X, formerly Twitter.

With the French Open victory still fresh in his mind, it’s interesting to see Carlos Alcaraz’s pre-season priorities. Back in February, at the age of 20 and just before his season debut in Buenos Aires, he was faced with a tough question: Roland Garros or the Olympics?

“I would say the Olympic title. It’s a dream for me to bring gold home to my country Spain. The gold medal is one of the greatest things in sport. I mean, I’d prefer to win Olympic gold this year… even though I’d like to win both, I won’t lie,” then-20-year-old answered with a smile. While grabbing Olympic gold might be Alcaraz’s ultimate goal this year, it doesn’t diminish his hunger for more Grand Slam glory.

And he certainly fulfilled that with his Roland Garros victory! “It makes no difference to me if it’s Roland Garros, Australia or any other Grand Slam. It makes me very excited to win one. I don’t feel like I have to win it, that I have that thorn in me, but it’s a dream to win one,” Alcaraz explained.

With a brief break to recharge, Alcaraz will soon switch gears from clay to grass as he prepares for the upcoming tournaments. However, his focus will shift again when he returns to clay, aiming for Olympic gold in Paris. Not only will he compete in the singles, but he is also set to form a doubles team with tennis legend Rafael Nadal. This highly anticipated team-up will surely be a humble farewell for the tennis legend!

While for Carlos “it will be a very special tournament”, for Nadal “it’d also be good for the Spanish team”

The French Open celebrations weren’t the only thing on Alcaraz’s mind. Fresh off his victory, he expressed his excitement for a return to Paris just a few weeks later for the Olympics. There, he’ll fulfill a dream of a different kind: teaming up with his idol, Rafael Nadal, for a shot at doubles gold.

“When I return to this stadium at the end of July, I will probably have some cool flashbacks that will come to mind,” he told L’Équipe. “It will be a very special tournament, my first Olympics just after winning my first Roland. Fighting for a gold medal for my country, playing doubles with my idol, Rafael Nadal, are things that I will only believe after experiencing them.”

Despite their inexperience as a team, the buzz surrounding the Alcaraz-Nadal Olympic doubles partnership is undeniable. Alcaraz, with minimal doubles experience, will be stepping outside his comfort zone. However, Nadal’s enthusiasm for the pairing is contagious, and their combined talent on the court holds immense potential.

“It’s also hugely exciting for me,” Nadal said. “If I’m not mistaken, I’ve heard it is for him too. I think if we’re both fit enough, why not? We could have the chance to form a great team and aspire to great things. It’d be good for both of us. I think it’d also be good for the Spanish team, so we’ll see how things progress.”

The upcoming Olympics will be the first time we witness this dream team in action, leaving everyone eager to see how their individual strengths will translate into doubles success.