The US pair Austin Krajicek and Rajeev Ram ended Spanish stars Carlos Alcaraz and Rafael Nadal's hopes of a gold medal in the men's doubles event at the Olympics at Philippe Chatrier Court.
In the quarter-finals, Alcaraz and Nadal were outplayed by the US pair in straight sets following a 6-2, 6-4 defeat.
Seeded fourth, Krajicek and Ram looked well set against the star Spanish duo. They controlled the rallies and lured Alcaraz and Nadal to make uncharacteristic errors in the early stages of the game.
The American duo wrapped up the first set by dominating the Spanish stars in front of a jam-packed crowd that stood behind Alcaraz and Nadal.
Expectations of a comeback were always on the cards, with Nadal and Alcaraz on the field. The second set began with both pairs fighting hard for each point and trying to kill the momentum by attempting to break each other's serve.
However, the American pair earned rewards for the consistency that they showed throughout the match. Alcaraz's serve was broken at 3-3, and the outcome of the clash was written on the wall for the Spanish duo.
Krajicek's nerves dwindled when the American duo stood on the verge of rewriting Nadal's fairytale ending. At 5-4, a couple of errors almost allowed the Spanish duo to make a comeback. However, they kept their calm and fended off three break points. Krajiceka aced Alcaraz to cap off an impressive display by the American duo.
After the game, Alcaraz reflected on the time he got to spend with the 92-time tour-level titlist and said, "It was an unbelievable experience for me. It is something I will never forget. Playing with Rafa has been great for me. I enjoyed. But I am disappointed; we wanted to keep going."
Alcaraz took to X and shared a special message for Nadal after their exit and wrote, "Thank you very much Rafa for this week and for sharing the track with me playing for! It couldn't be today, but I'm taking a lot of things with me for the future! It has been very special."
Alcaraz will be in action in the men's singles event. His next clash will be against American tennis player Tommy Paul.
