Classy Carlos Alcaraz and Iga Swiatek will follow their French Open triumphs by striking Olympic gold in Paris
07/24/2024 10:42 AM
Andy Murray will retire after playing in his fifth Olympics, Rafael Nadal could conceivably do the same if he wins gold and Novak Djokovic wants to wear a medal around his neck at the very least but would love to triumph in the only major tournament which has eluded him in his remarkable career.
Success for any of them would bring a fairytale element to the Paris Games, even though it doesn't need the hype.
But it’s a moot point really as none of the three veterans will stand on top of the podium at Roland Garros as that honour is going to Carlos Alcaraz.
The 21-year-old Spaniard is fresh from winning his fourth grand slam when he beat Djokovic in straight sets at Wimbledon just a couple of weeks ago and that followed victory in the French Open.
He is destined to be the next tennis superstar and could be just as dashing and dominant as Roger Federer, Nadal and Djokovic in their pomp, and he’s already the sport's glamorous new poster boy.
He returns to his favoured clay court at Roland Garros seeking to extend his remarkable run and it is difficult to see anyone standing in his way.
Alcaraz simply has to be backed at 7/4 with Bet Victor, Sky Bet and StarSports, even though it is a skinny price.
Italy's Jannik Sinner has pulled out through illness while Serb star Djokovic has been plagued by injuries and isn't worth following at the same odds with multiple firms.
Anyone seeking a bit of value from a decent outsider could have a dabble on Norway’s Casper Ruud, a beaten finalist at Roland Garros in 2022 and 2023, at 8/1 with Unibet and MGM while Alexander Zverev is the defending champion and the German should give punters an each-way run for their money at 14/1 with Sky Bet among others.
It's a similar story in the race for women's gold with Iga Swiatek streets ahead of the rest of the field, especially on clay, as she has won the French Open four times.
The Pole is no better than 4/7 with BetUK, though, and the preference is for an each-way flutter on one of Coco Gauff (6/1 William Hill), Mirra Andreeva (16/1 Paddy Power and Betfair) or this year's French Open finalist Jasmine Paolini (35/1 Bet Victor) if they are drawn in the opposite half to Swiatek on Thursday afternoon.
• There’s only one team who stop a United States squad rammed with NBA stars from winning basketball gold and that's themselves. They have had to come from way back to beat Germany and South Sudan in warm-up games and also scraped past France but they will power to gold if they avoid complacency and are no better than 1/4 with Paddy Power and Betfair.
Canada are 7/4 with the StarSports market without the USA while LeBron James is 11/4 with Sky Bet to provide the most assists for the United States and 7/1 with the same firm to score their most points.
• Team GB won 22 gold medals in the last Olympics in Tokyo, 27 at Rio 2016, 29 four years earlier in London and 19 in Beijing in 2008. Far cries from the nine collected in Athens in 2004, the 11 in Sydney in the Millennium Games and just one at Atlanta 1996. Hopes are high for another big haul in Paris. Over 17.5 Team GB golds is 5/6 with Betway.
