Alcaraz reaches Olympics singles semis, youngest since Djokovic

PARIS -- Carlos Alcaraz became the youngest man to reach the singles semifinals at a Summer Games since Novak Djokovic in 2008 by getting past Tommy Paul of the U.S. 6-3, 7-6 (7) at the Paris Olympics on Thursday.

Alcaraz, 21, of Spain,  is just a few days older than Djokovic was 16 years ago in Beijing.

This is only the latest in a series of "youngest since" or "youngest ever" achievements for Alcaraz, who is coming off titles at the French Open -- which is held at Roland Garros, the same facility being used for the 2024 Paris Games -- in June and at Wimbledon in July.

Those trophies raised his Grand Slam trophy count to four. As it is, he was the youngest man with a major championship on hard, grass and clay courts. In 2022, he became the first teenager to reach No. 1 in the ATP rankings, getting there after winning the U.S. Open.

And so on.

In the semifinals Friday, Alcaraz will take on three-time major runner-up Casper Ruud of Norway or Felix Auger-Aliassime of Canada. Their quarterfinal is later Thursday. The quarterfinals on the top half of the men's bracket were the now-37-year-old Djokovic of Serbia vs. Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece, and Tokyo Games champion Alexander Zverev of Germany vs. Lorenzo Musetti of Italy.

Alcaraz and Paul, whose best showing at a major was a semifinal run at the 2023 Australian Open, are developing a bit of a rivalry. Alcaraz is now 5-2 head-to-head, which includes defeating Paul a few weeks ago in the Wimbledon quarterfinals.

This one could have become a lot more complicated.

Paul nearly pushed the match to a third set.

He served for the second at 5-3 and got within two points of taking it a couple of times there, but couldn't get closer, including missing a volley off a dipping crosscourt passing shot by Alcaraz, then pushing a backhand long. Alcaraz eventually broke with an on-the-run forehand passing winner after Paul smacked a terrific forehand approach shot to a corner.

The crowd went wild. Alcaraz pointed his right index finger to his ear, then raised that fist.

In the tiebreaker, Paul earned a set point at 7-6, and he conjured up a drop half-volley that Alcaraz sprinted to, then slid, and guided a down-the-line backhand that went off the edge of Paul's racket frame and toward the stands. Again, Alcaraz gestured as the spectators roared.

On Alcaraz's second set point, Paul yanked a forehand wide, and that was that.