In a thrilling Olympic tennis tournament that has already seen its fair share of upsets and surprises, one young Spaniard is shining bright. Carlos Alcaraz, the lone representative from Spain in the men’s singles, is making a strong push for the gold medal in his inaugural Olympic appearance. After breezing past Dutchman Griekspoor in the earlier rounds, Alcaraz also tasted success in the doubles event, teaming up with none other than Rafael Nadal.
The path to Olympic glory is becoming clearer as the competition heats up, with Alcaraz gearing up to face Roman Safiullin in the Round of 16. Safiullin, one of the 15 Russian athletes competing in Tokyo, has been in fine form, dispatching opponents like Chilean Tabilo and Argentine Etcheverry without dropping a set. Despite his ranking of 66th, the Russian had a disappointing outing at the Bastad tournament recently, falling to none other than Nadal and his partner Ruud in both singles and doubles matches.
The upcoming clash between Alcaraz and Safiullin is not their first meeting, as the Russian emerged victorious in their lone encounter at the 2023 Paris Masters 1000. Tennis fans around the world are eagerly anticipating this showdown between two talented young players on the Olympic stage.
For those looking to catch the action live, the Round of 16 match between Alcaraz and Safiullin is scheduled to take place on Wednesday, July 31, at 8:00 AM ET. Fans can tune in to NBC Olympics Channels to watch the match on TV, while streaming options will be available on Peacock for those following online. Don’t miss out on what promises to be an exciting battle between these two rising stars in the world of tennis.
